88 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol. 10 



the two specimens taken in the Golden Eagle Basin, one collected 

 on July 3 is in summer pelage, the other, July 4, in complete 

 winter pelage, rather worn in appearance, and just beginning 

 to change to the summer coat. One taken at the Tahsis Canal 

 July 31 is still entirely in the winter coat. All the others taken 

 at this point are in summer pelage. 



A comparison of these Vancouver Island squirrels with a 

 series in corresponding pelage from southeastern Alaska, pre- 

 viously referred by me to vancouverensis (1911a, p. 120) reveals 

 certain appreciable dissimilarities. The squirrels from the two 

 regions are hardly distinguishable in summer pelage, but in the 

 winter coat the following differences are apparent : typical van- 

 couverensis is darker above, nearly uniform dull chestnut, with 

 the reddish stripe ill-defined ; the tip of the tail is much more 

 extensively black ; the center of the tail, on the ventral surface, 

 is decidedly grayish. Alaskan specimens are brighter colored, 

 with a fairly well defined, bright hazel dorsal stripe; center of 

 tail, below, reddish, nearly as bright as the upper surface. In 

 all pelages the Alaska squirrels have the tip of the tail much 

 less extensively black, and have the black lateral stripe on the 

 body much more prominent. 



Thus in color they are intermediate between typical van- 

 couverensis and i>< I ulans, and a comparison of the skulls shows 

 the same to be true of the cranial characters. Petulans has a 

 sharp indentation on the orbital arcli (see Osgood, 1900. p. 27, 

 pi. 5) which is nearly or quite obsolete on the Vancouver speci- 

 mens at hand. On nearly all the skulls from southeastern Alaska 

 it is quite as apparent as in typical petulans. As the red squirrel 

 ranges uninterruptedly along the northwest coast it is, of course, 

 to be expected that inter gradation between the races should 

 appear in the intermediate localities. 



