SPERilOPHILUS FRANKLINII. 249 
the heels. The claws are nearly straight being much less hooked than 
those of S. Annulatus. 
The hair is rather coarse, and the under fur not very dense. 
The tail is clothed with hair, but has on it no under fur. It is capable 
of a somewhat distichous arrangement, but as we are informed by Sir 
.Tou.v llicHARnsoN, when this animal is pursued, the tail is cylindrical, the 
hairs standing out in every direction. The hind feet, when stretched out, 
reach to the middle of the tail. 
COLOUR. 
Incisors orange ; eyes and whiskers, black ; nails, dark-brown ; the 
septum and naked margins of the nostrils, and margins of the lips are 
of a light flesh-colour ; eyelids, white ; below the nostrils, sides of face, 
chin, and throat, yellowish-white. Upper parts of the head to beyond 
the ears and neck, light brindled- gray, composed of blackish hairs tipped 
with white, without any admixture of brown. The hairs on the back, 
are at the roots, plumbeous, then brown, succeeded by a line of black, and 
finally tipped with brown, giving it on the back a brownish-speckled 
appearance. On the chest and inner surfaces of legs white, with a 
slight brownish tinge. The hairs on the tail are barred with black and 
white ; they are light-coloured at the roots, then twice barred with 
black and white, and broadly tipped with white. Towards the extre- 
mity of the tail there is a broader black bar, the apical portion being 
white. When the tail is distichously arranged it presents two indis- 
tinct longitudinal stripes of black. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. 
From point of nose to insertion of tail, - - - 9| 
Tail (vertebrm), 4|- 
To end of hair, - -- -- -- 5f 
From heel to end of middle claw, - - - - 2 
Height of ear, - - J 
HABITS. 
We possess but little information of the habits of several of the Spermo- 
phili of America. None of the species are found in the settled portions of 
our country, where opportunities are afforded the naturalist to observe 
and note down their habits ; every one has undoubtedly an interesting 
history attached to its life, which yet remains to be collected and written, 
VOL. II.— 32. 
