I4O SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



Valley to over 5,000 feet altitude on the summits of the Pirre Range, 

 They were usually seen springing through the bfanches from one 

 tree to another. Occasionally they were found searching for food 

 among the ferns, small palms, and other low ground cover, and on 

 hearing me approach scrambled a few feet up a convenient tree trunk, 

 where a pause was made, apparently to locate the cause of alarm. 

 From such vantage points they sometimes continued upward into 

 the tree top, at other times they turned downward again to the 

 ground. Anthony (1916, p. 365) records specimens from Boca de 

 Cupe, Chepigana, Cituro, Real de Santa Maria, Tacarcuna (2,650 to 

 5,200 feet) and Tapalisa. 



Specimens examined: Cana (type locality), 5; Boca de Cupe, 5 1 ; 

 Cerro Azul, 3 ; Chepigana, 4 2 ; Cituro, 6 2 ; Marraganti, 3 ; Mount 

 Pirre, 6; Real de Santa Maria, 7*; Tacarcuna (2,650-5,200 feet), 

 12 2 ; Tapalisa. 2. 2 



SCIURUS GERRARDI MORULUS Bangs 



Canal Zone Squirrel; Ardita 



Sciurus variabilis morulus Bangs, Proc. New England Zool. Club, Vol. 2, 

 p. 43, September 20, 1900. Type from Loma de Leon (Lion Hill), 

 Panama. 



The common squirrel of the Canal Zone, locally known as " ardita," 

 is distinguished from 5. g. choco of the Darien region by paler gen- 

 eral coloration. The black median dorsal stripe usually present in the 

 latter form is absent or only faintly indicated and the underparts 

 are a paler rusty reddish shade. The bright rusty reddish instead of 

 black and white tail is a recognition mark by which confusion of this 

 form with Sciurus variegatoides helveolus, a larger squirrel of the 

 region, may easily be avoided. S. g. morulus apparently jntergrades 

 with 5. g. choco in the mountains near the headwaters of the Chagres 

 River; the limits of its range west of the Canal Zone remain to be 

 determined. Specimens from Obispo and Caimito (near Chorrera) 

 were recorded by Alston (1879, p. 131) and from Gatun by Anthony 

 (1916, p. 365). 



This squirrel is one of the few rodents that are diurnal in habits 

 and likely to be met with during a ramble in the forest. Owing to 

 the density of the vegetation it may be passed unnoticed at a very 

 short distance. In spite of bright colors it is not a very conspicuous 

 object unless very near. Sometimes one was heard making a 

 rasping noise as it gnawed the shells of hard fruits or nuts while 



1 Four in collection Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 J Collection Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 



