Ixxxviii Rodentia. MAMMALIA.. — — Rodentia. 
tlie light ones, aiiJ another below them. 'J’he middle 
black strijje extends from the occiput to tlie base of 
the tail. The habitat is North-eastern Europe, 
Northern Asia and North-western North America, 
southward nearly to the United States. As it is 
found more southward it merges into the variety 
quadrivittatus, the Eocky Mountain Chipjiuck. 'I’he 
length of this is four and a half to five inches. Its 
range is from the middle and southern portions of 
the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico. The variety 
])allidus, the Pai.e Chipmuck, is smaller and paler 
than the preceding. Its length is four and a quarter 
inches ; the tail to end of hairs four inches. It is 
common on the dry plains of the Upper Missouri and 
Yellowstone, and the desert plains of the Great 
Basin. V^ariety townsendi is larger, the length be- 
ing inches. It inhabits the Pacific Coast from 
Northern California to British Columbia. Variety 
dorsalis, tlie Gila Chipmuck, is of medium size, and 
is found in the Gila region, Arizona. 
HARRIS’ CHIPMUCK {T. harrisi, Ami. and Bach., 
Allen). — 'I’liis species is five inches in length. It was 
obtained originally in Oregon, and is now found in 
New Mexico and Califoi'iiia. It is regarded as a 
desert animal, di tiering from others of the genus, 
which are inhabitants of the woodland. 
SAY'S CHIPMUCK {T. lateralis, Say, Allen).— 
Audubon and Bachman describe this as Spermo- 
philus. Its length is seven and a quarter inches, 
being the largest of the genus. It is said to vary 
greatly in color, even among specimens from the 
same locality. It was first described by Say, in 
1823, from specimens from the Arkansas River. Its 
habits closely resemble those of the Eastern Chip- 
muck. 
Spermopiiilus. — F. Cuvier. 
'I'he skull in Spermopiiilus is very variable in its 
form ; it is either narrow and elongate, or short and 
broad, with the dorsal line moderately or strongly 
convex, and the zygomatic arches greatly or only 
moderately expanded. The cheek iiouches are well 
developed. The ears are never tufted. The nail of 
the pollex is generally undeveloped. The genus 
includes a group of quite dissimilar forms, some re- 
sembling the Squirrels,’ others Cynomys, and some 
have a look of Tamias. It is considered impossible 
to subdivide the American forms of this genus into 
sharply-defined groups, yet they admit of being sep- 
arated into three sections, as above indicated. The 
Spermojihiles are confined nearly to the colder portions 
of the country, and they are eipuilly represented in 
northern portions of both the Old and New World. In 
North America none occur east of the plains and 
prairies ; they range westward to the Pacific Coast, and 
southward as far as the plains of Northern Mexico. 
All of the known species, except one, have represent- 
atives within the United States, this being S. annu- 
hitus, known as yet from a single siiecimeii only, from 
AVestern Mexico. Several species are remarkable 
as being carnivorous to a certain extent, or having 
carnivorous propensities. Specimens have been seen 
to devour Mice and small Squirrels. Mr. Kennicott 
records that the farmers have complained that the 
Gray Spermophile destroys their young chickens. 
The term Spermophile indicates their seed-eating 
propensity. 
LINE-TAILED SPERMOPHILE {Spermophilus gram- 
mvrus, Say, Bach ) — This is very distinct from any 
other species of the genus. It is noted for its wide, 
full and bushy tail, and large and pointed ears, also 
for its general Squirrel-like form. Its color and size 
is different, excepting in the species S. empetra, 
which is its nearest “ affine.” Mr. Say brought this 
from the headwaters of the Arkansas River in 1823. 
Several varieties are noticed, called S. beecheyi and 
S. douglassi. The popular name is Ground Squirrel, 
The length of this species is about twelve inches ; 
the tail to the end of the hairs is nine inches. The 
color above is a mottled white and black, or grayish. 
The tail is white and black, in alternating bands, 
longitudinally arranged, two black and three white. 
Its habitat is Colorado, southward to Mexico, and 
westward to the Sierra Nevada. 
PARRY’S SPERMOPHILE (-S', empetra, Pall, Allen). 
— This is the Quebec Marmot of Foster and Pennant, 
and S. parryi of Baird. There are three varieties, 
called respectively kodiacensis, erethrogluteus and 
empetra, as above. It is about the size of S. gram- 
murus, or rather larger, its length ranging from 
twelve to fourteen inches ; the tail from end of the 
hairs is four and a half inches. The color of this 
species is a mixed yellowish-brown, white and black, 
the white appearing in square-like blotches. Rich- 
ardson says : “'J’his Spermophile inhabits the barren 
grounds skirting the sea coast from Hudson’s Bay, 
round by Melville Peninsula, to Behring’s Straits.” 
RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE {S. richardsoni. 
Saline, Bich .) — Two varieties are seen. S. town- 
sendi (one of them) was described by Audubon and 
Bachman as a sejiarate species. It is also recorded 
as such by Baird. The S. richardsoni is seven to 
nine and a half inches in length. The general color 
is yellowish-brown above. The ears are small and 
pointed. The tail is short and flattened, more or 
less bushy, occasionnlly terete. This variety is larger 
than the other. The species is found as far east as 
the Pembina Mountains, and extends westward as 
far as the Rocky Mountains. Its southern extreme 
is near the Laramie Plains. 
THE SHORT-TAILED SPERMOPHILE [S. mollis, 
Kennicott) is described by the author of the specific 
name in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phil, 1863. It was 
procured in Utah. Other specimens have been found 
in Nevada. In coloration it resembles S. mollis and 
several other forms. The ears are so small that 
little is seen of them. The muzzle is very much 
compressed ; the tail very short and flattened. The 
pelage is soft and furry. Its length is six to six and 
a half inches ; the tail to end of hairs two and a half 
inches. 
PORT YUMA SPERMOPHILE (S. tereticaudus, 
Baird ). — This is described by Prof. Baird in Mam. 
N. A. Its length is about si.x inches ; tail to end of 
hairs four and three-quarter inches. Its color is a 
yellowish-brown and gray above. The ears are nearly 
