76 



JS30RTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[No. 36. 



front feet similar, but with less brown; underparts white, strongly 

 tinged with pale ochraceous-salmon. With regard to the color of 

 the hind feet in the typical series, Mr. Thomas writes me as foUows: 



Of 20 specimens, 12 have large metapodial patches [of brown], 7 have smaller ones 

 down to quite minute ones (often not the same on both sides) and the type has prac- 

 tically none at all — though even there a few hairs are dark on each foot, making a 

 minute spot. 



Slcull. — Similar to that of milleri, but larger. '^Low, with a flat 

 superior profile. Palatal foramina short, barely reaching backward 

 to the level of the front of ^ More recently Mr. Thomas has com- 

 pared the topotype series with specimens of R. m. cherrii and states 

 ''I can find no skull difference of any importance or constancy." 



Measurements. — Type (from dry skin): ''Head and body, 72; tail 

 (tip doubtfully perfect), 83; hind foot (wet) without claws, 19; ear 

 (wet), 14. Skull: Back of parietal to nasal tip, 21.1 ; greatest breadth, 

 11.5; nasals 8.9 x 2.6; interorbital breadth, 3.7; palate from hense- 

 lion, 9.2; diastema, 5.9; palatal foramina, 4.1 x 1.6; upper molar 

 series, 3.8."^ Skull of fully adult topotype (measured by Mr. 

 Thomas): Greatest length 24.2; breadth of braincase, 11.5; length 

 of nasals, 9.1; width of outer wall of anteorbital foramen, 1.9. 



Remarks. — This species, so far as known, is the most southerly 

 ranging member of the genus. I have not been able to examine the 

 type series of 20 specimens in the British Museum, but I have seen a 

 small series from southern Colombia, kindly loaned by Dr. Allen, 

 and which both he and Mr. Thomas consider typical of this species. 

 From an examination of this series it is clear that soderstromi is a 

 member of the mexicanus group and rather closely related to milleri, 

 but whether it is connected with the latter by intermediate forms 

 can not at present be determined. 



Its habits are described by Mr. L. Soderstrom, the collector of the 

 type series, as follows: ''Feeds on flowers and seeds in the gardens. 

 Comes out from among the climbing plants every evening at about 

 7 p. m." 



Specimens examined. — Four, from Valle de las Papas, Huila, Co- 

 lombia (central Andes, altitude 10,000 feet).* 



REITHRODONTOMYS GRACILIS Allen & Chapman. 



Yucatan Harvest Mouse. 



(PI. Ill, fig. 7; PI. VI, fig. 7.) 



Reithrodontomys mexicanus gracilis Allen and Chapman, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 

 IX, 1897, p. 9. 



Type locality. — Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. 

 Distribution. — Yucatan and Campeche. 



1 Original description by Thomas. 

 i In epistie, Oct. 21, 1913. 



3 Thomas, loc. cit. 



* Collection Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 



