1916] Taylor: A New Spermophile from the San Joaquin Valley 19 
vicinity of Bakersfield and in the neighborhood of McKittrick, where 
sandy washes seemed to be fairly well occupied. Near Bakersfield the 
antelope chipmunks were found in the hilly regions only, none at 
all being noted on the plains below. They do not, however, so far 
as available data indicate, range above the Lower Sonoran zone. Their 
call-notes were not loud, being, in fact, indicated more by the associated 
convulsive movement of the body than by the sound itself. During 
the cool of the morning the animals were not in evidence, appearing 
only after it became quite warm. Apparently six or eight individuals 
constituted a colony of average size. The sides of little gullies were 
often fairly honeycombed with burrows, such situations on banks being 
preferred, perhaps, to any other location. The burrows investigated 
proved to be somewhat complicated, two or three passageways running 
into one at a depth of a foot or more below the surface. This passage- 
way, in turn, joined one or two other aggregations of entrance ways. 
Although several burrows were dug out to the end, no nests or food- 
stores were discovered. The cheek pouch of a specimen from 
McKittrick (no. 9032, Mus. Vert. Zool.), contained 745 seeds of 
Erodium (either moschatum or cicutarium). 
Breeding habits—Adult males (taken May 7 to 28) had testes 
enlarged, signifying reproductive activity. Two juvenal specimens 
were collected, a male (no. 13824, Mus. Vert. Zool.), May 7, 1911, 
eight miles northeast of Bakersfield, and another (no. 13850, Mus. 
Vert. Zool.), May 18, 1911, at McKittrick. No embryos were found, 
so probably the young had been born during April or very early in 
May, or perhaps even earlier. 
Economic relations.—The Nelson chipmunk seems to prefer barren 
situations whieh have no agricultural importance. The possibility 
of its doing damage by burrowing through the walls of irrigating 
ditches or by eating the seeds of cultivated plants is remote. The 
experience of the Museum party, and of other observers with related 
species (for example, see Mearns, 1907, pp. 300 and following), 
supports the conclusion that the members of this group of spermophiles 
(Ammospermophilus) are of little or no economic importance. 
Possible effect of farming on the status of the species.—No antelope 
chipmunks could be found in the vicinity of the type locality, Tipton, 
Tulare County, the first noted being observed some 30 miles to the 
south. Residents acquainted with the species testified that it formerly 
occurred where now it is absent. Possibly farming activity crowds 
out Ammospermophilus. Residents also asserted that the Beechey 
