HETEROMYID^ 159 



dark and a light brown stripe on under side of tail; soles of 

 hind feet often partly bare. 



Length about 240 mm. (9.50 inches) ; tail vertebra 150 

 (5.90) ; hind foot 37 (1.45) ; ear from crown 10 (.40). 



Type locality, Palm Spring (Agua Caliente), western end of 

 the Colorado Desert, California. 



Mimic Pocket-Rats are common in many parts of the Colo- 

 rado and Mojave Deserts. A few occur on the northeastern 

 slope of the mountains bordering the Colorado Desert, and in one 

 place across the divide on the upper part of the Temecula River. 

 These last are intermediate between shniolus and parvus, and 

 perhaps should be classed with the latter subspecies. Those taken 

 along the western border of the Colorado Desert are rather larger 

 than the average elsewhere. They inhabit sandy land having a 

 brief growth of annuals, the seeds of these being stored for use 

 during the remainder of the year. In a few places where plants 

 are plentiful these animals are common. They are crepuscular 

 and nocturnal, not shy, often coming around the camp fire. They 

 have several times run over me as I lay sleeping on the ground, 

 and one even ran across my feet as I sat quietly by the camp 

 fire alone. Their tracks in the morning show that they have 

 gleaned thoroughly about camp the previous night for crumbs of 

 bread, grain or other food. The young are born mostly in April 

 and May, and are oftenest four in numiber. 



Dipodomys merriami parvus Rhoads. (Little.) 



SAN BERNARDINO POCKET-RAT. 



Above broccoli brown, slightly tipped with black, the greater 

 part of the hairs slate gray; sides light wood brown or clay 

 color; soles of hind feet and leg above the heel blackish; upper and 

 lower tail stripes distinct, blackish to end; side stripes white to 

 mixed tip. Slightly smaller than simiolus. 



Type locality, south side of San Bernardino Valley, Califor- 

 nia. 



This subspecies appears to be rare. The few known speci- 



