119 



settles undoubtedly the fact of its occurrence in Ohio : " Dr. R. M. Byrnes 

 informs me that he captured a specimen of this species near Middletown. 

 Ohio; others were seen at the same time. The prairie-like character of 

 that portion of the State ought to be favorable to their existence. It is 

 also reported to occur at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Dr. Byrnes says, on good au- 

 thority." From Atwater's History of Ohio, 1838, we have the following 

 note : " We have the Gopher, which lives in our wet barrens." 



Spehmophilus franklini (Sabine) Lesson. 



Gray Pkairie Sqdirrel; Gray Gopher; Gray-ubaded Spermophilb; Franklin's 



Spermophile. 



1822. Arctomys franklini, Sabine, Trans. Linn. Soc, xiii, 1822, 587, pi. 



xxvii; ibid, Narr. Franklin's Journ., 1822, 662. — Harlan, Faun. 



Am., 1825, 167.— Godman, Am. Nat. Hist., ii, 1826, 109.— Fischer, 



Syn. Mam., 1829, 343. 



1827. Spermophilus franklini, Lesson, Man. Mam., 1827, 244. — F. Guvier, 



Suppl. Buffon, i, 1831, Mamm., 328. — Wagner, Suppl. Schreb., 



iii, 1843, 244, pi. ccx ("Arctomys franklini, Sabine," on plate). — 



Brandt, Bull. Physico-math., Classe Acad. St. Petersb., ii, 1844, 



379.— Aud. & Bach., Quad. N. Am., ii, 1851, 248, pi. Ixxxiv. 



Schinz, Syn. Mam., ii, 1845, 67. — Kennicott, Pat. Of. Rep., 



1856, Agric. (1857), 79, pl. ix.— Baird, Mam. N. Am., 1857, 3l4, 



pi. xlvi, fig. 4 (skull). — Thomas, Trans. 111. State Agr. Soc, iv, 



1861, 657.— Hayden, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc, Phila., xii, 1863, 146. 



—Allen, Proc Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xiii, 1870, 189 (Iowa), xvi, 



1874, 291 ; Mon. N. A. Rodentia, 1877, 881.— Bishop, Forest and 



Stream, vii, 1877, 342 (its introduction into New Jersey). 



1829. Aretomys {Spermophilus) franklini, Richardson, Faun. Bor. Am., i, 



1829, 168, pl. xii. 



Specific Characters. — Length to base of tail, 9.00 to 10.50 inches ; of tail to 



end of vertebrae, 5.00 to 6.50 ; to end of hairs, 6.25 to 8.50. Yellowish-brown 



above, varied with black, the black chiefly in the form of small squarish 



spots ; eyelids white ; front and sides of head and neck, the thighs and 



buttocks pure gray ; top of head gray, sometimes varied more or less with 



yellowish brown; below grayish white; tail grayish white with three 



lines of black, the outer quite broad and broadly edged with white. Ear 



small, about .20 high ; tail vertebras about one-half the length of Mead and 



body; tail distichous, hairs long and abundant; form rather slender ;> 



pelage harsh, consisting of coarse, stift hairs, without under fur. 



History and Distribution. — This very interesting Spermophile is one of 

 the most strongly marked and unmistakable of the genus. It was fira 



