48 



SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 



"Both at Colorado and at Stanton this species was trapped with great- 

 est success at the roots of mesquite trees, where the spermophiles seem 

 to prefer to dig their burrows. The holes were not uniformly regular 

 in outline, but invariably seemed to descend at an angle and not verti- 

 cally. 



"At Eddy, N". Mex., the species was fairly common, inhabiting the 

 stony or shingly land. I did not find it at all in the sand, except at 

 the edges, where the sand met the shingle. On the lower staked plain, 

 or on what may be termed the 'large-mesquite plain,' they did not 

 seem to inhabit the sandy land or 'shinn'ry,' but rather confined them- 

 selves to the hard red soil and mesquite groves." 



Mr. E. W. Nelson has observed this species in Mexico, and says: 

 " It is found about the borders of the Yalley of Mexico [near Tlalpam], 

 but is restricted in its distribution. It is only found in loose and rather 

 sandy soil, in fields and along the banks of arroyos, near the border of 

 the valley bottom. * * * It is not uncommon in the grain fields 

 about Irolo, Hidalgo. One was found sunning itself early one morning 

 beside a clod of earth in a field. It remained so quiet at our approach 

 that my assistant and myself stopped within eight or ten feet of it and 

 discussed the question whether it might not have one of our small traps 

 on its feet. To make sure, I took a small piece of hard clay and ap- 

 proached within almost arm's length to strike it, when it darted off 

 across the field with all possible speed, and was only secured by a quick 

 shot. As a rule, these animals are very shy, and make for their holes 

 long before one gets within gunshot. They are so vigilant and quick to 

 take aLarm that but few are seen, even when comparatively common. 



FRANKLIN'S SPERMOPHILE. 



Spermophilus franklini (Sabine). 

 [Plate IT— Map 2.] 



Description. — This spermophile has somewhat the appearamce of a email gray 

 squirrel, but has ears less than half as long and a smaller tail. The hair is coarse 

 ;unl harsh. In color, it is gray, lighter on the belly, becoming whitish on the throat; 

 the back is suffused with tawny or yellowish brown, and marked with fine wavy 

 cross lines of black ; the head and tail are usually clear gray. 



The measurements of an average-sized specimen selected from ten. adults are as 

 follow s : Total length, from end of nose to end of tail vertebrae, 378 millimeters (14| 

 Inches) ; length of tail from angle with back to tip of vertebras, 139 millimeters (5£ 

 inches). Length of hind foot from point of heel to tip of longest claw, 52 millime- 

 ters (2 inches). 



Franklin's Spermophile is locally known under the names of Gray 

 Ground Squirrel, Gray Gopher, Scrub Gropher, Prairie Squirrel, 

 and Gray-cheeked Spermophile. Any one of these is distinctive enough 

 where the animal is found, but beyond its range the terms Gray Ground 

 Squirrel and Gray Gopher apply just as well to nearly a half a dozen 

 species of somewhat similar animals found in the Rocky Mountain and 



