MAMMALS OF UTAH 43 



hairs interspersed. The tail is very pale brownish white 

 externally, then black, then white as before, and finally 

 black on the central line; each lateral hair, therefore, hav- 

 ing the base and sub-terminal bar black, the margin and 

 sub-basal bar white. All the lateral hairs have a very nar- 

 row tip of black, scarcely appreciable. The whole under 

 surface shows a uniform whitish, the concealed bases only 

 being dusky, the basal third above is like the back. The 

 hairs on the upper part of the body are dark plumbeous at 

 the extreme base, then silky white for the greater part of 

 their length, then brown, passing into black, and finally 

 tipped with the whitish as described ; interspersed are many 

 hairs entirely black. Under the light lateral stripes, the 

 hairs are without the dusky at the terminal portion, or 

 only lead color and whitish. The hairs on the under parts 

 are all plumbeous at base. Length, 5 inches; tail, with 

 hairs, about 3. Hind foot, 1.45. (Baird.) 



Distribution — Southern Utah and Nevada into Califor- 

 nia and south into Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico. 



Habits — ^The Harris ground-squirrel inhabits the open 

 plains, desert regions, valleys, canyons and river bottoms 

 of Southern Utah and Arizona, usually under 5,200 feet 

 altitude. It is fond of mesquite beans which it stores for 

 winter use, husking the seeds before carrying them under- 

 ground. It is full of playfulness and noisy activity. The 

 rutting season extends from January to March; and the 

 young are half grown by July. This species is to some 

 extent carnivorous. (Mearns.) 



WHITE-TAILED SPERMOPHILE 



CITELLUS LEUCURUS (Merriam) 



Tamias leucunis Merriam, N. Am. Faun. No. 2, 1889, p. 20. 

 Spermophilus leucurus EUilot, Syn. N. Am. Mamm. F. C. M. 



Pub. II, 1901, p. 86, fig. 18. Zool. Ser. 

 Citellus leucurus Elliot, Mamm. Middle Amer. & W. Indies, 



F. C. M. Pub. IV, Pt. I, 1904, p. 142. Zool. Ser. 



Description — Above, finely grizzled, the ground color 

 varying "from grayish on the anterior half of the back to 

 pinkish vinaceous on the rump and head, and becoming sal- 

 mon on the outside of the fore legs and thighs. A single 

 white stripe on each side extends from the shoulders to the 

 rump. Eyelids and underparts white. Tail bicolor; above, 

 iron-gray, resulting from the fine admixture of the white 



