88 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Genus Tamias Illiger 

 1811 Ta mi as Illiger, Prodr. syst. mamm. et. avium, p. 83. Type Sciurus 

 striatus Linnaeus. 



Like Sciurus, but with less bushy tail, and with well developed cheek 

 pouches in which large quantities of food can be carried. The only Tcnoivn specie8 

 is conspicuously striped on tlie hack, while uone of our squirrels are so marked. 

 Upper cheek teeth four on each side, all well dsA^eloped. (Tamias; Gk., a 

 steward) 



The genus Tamias is represented by one species only, the well 

 known chipmunk of the eastern United States and southern Canada. 



Tamias striatus (Linnaeus) Eastern chipmunk 



Eeddish brown or yellowish brown ; hack with five Mack stripes and two whitish 

 ones, (striatus; Lat., striped) 



The eastern chipmunk occurs throughout eastern North America from 

 the lower edge of the upper austral zone to the lower edge of the 

 Hudsonian zone. It is divisible into four geographic races, two of 

 which occur within our limits. 



SUBSPECIES OF TAMIAS STRIATUS 



Rump rich rufous brown T. striatus striatus 



Rump pale, dull, yellowish brown T. striatus lysteri 



Tamias striatus striatus (Linnaeus) Southeastern chipmunk 

 1758 [Sciurus] striatus Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10. 1 : 64. (South- 

 eastern United States) 

 1857 Tamias striatus Baird, 11th Smithsonian report, p. 35. 

 1886 Tamias striatus Merriam, American naturalist. Mar. 1886. 20 : 242. 



Colors dark and rich ; rump warm rufous brown, or chestnut. Total length, 

 250 (9|); tail vertebrae, 90 (3tB) ; hind foot, 33 (lA). (striatus; Lat., striped) 



The southeastern chipmunk inhabits the old fields and open woods of 

 the upper austral zone. It is abundant from the lower Hudson valley 

 south to North CaroHna. 



Tamias striatus lysteri (Richardson) Northeastern chipmunk 



1829 Sciurus (Tamias) lysteri Richardson, Fauna Boreali-Araericana. 1 : 182. 



(Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada) 

 1886 Tamias striatus lysteri Merriam, American naturalist. Mar. 



1886. 20: 242. 

 Color pale and dull, rump yellowish brown. Total length, 250 (9|) ; tail 

 vertebrae, 95 (3f); hind foot 36 (1/b). 



The northeastern chipmunk inhabits clearings, old fields and open 

 woods in the transition zone and lower part of the Canadian zone in the 

 region east of Lake Huron and the upper Mississippi valley. It is 

 abundant throughout the greater part of New York and New England. 



