88 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Genus Tamias Illiger 



1811 Tamias Illiger, Prodr. syst. maram. efc. aviam, p. 83, Type Sciuriis 



striatus Linnaeus. 



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



poaches in which large quantities of food can be carried. The only Icnown species 



is conspicuously striped on the dach, while none of our squirrels are so marked. 



Upper cheek teeth four on each side, all well deA^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 



Reddish brown or yellowish brown ; })ack with five hlacJc 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 (9i) ; tail vertebrae, 90 (3t%) ; hind foot, 33 (Ii'b). (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 Carolina. 



Tamias striatus lysteri (Richardson) Northeastern chipmunk 



1829 Sciurus (Tamias) lysteri Richardson, Fauna Boreali-Americana. 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 (3|); hind foot 36 (I/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. 



