182 
LARGE-TAILED SPERMOPHILE. 
surface with dusky and soiled yellow ; on the outside they are blackish- 
brown, becoming paler and grizzled towards the margins ; feet, whitish, 
finely freckled with dusky markings, their general hue pale ; tail, mode- 
rately bushy and sub-depressed ; the hairs are long, varying from one and 
three quarters to two inches in length ; they are of a brownish-white colour 
and are annulated by three broad black rings, the annulations nearest the 
apex of each hair considerably broader than the others. Upper and lower 
incisors, pale yellow ; whiskers, black ; claws, brown. 
In the specimen here described the whole crown of the head is black, 
but we are informed by our friend Watebhouse that an imperfect skin of 
a second specimen which exists in the museum of the Zoological Society of 
London has the crown of the head gray. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Foot. Inches. Lines. 
Length from point of nose to root of tail, - - 1 1 
“ of tail (vertebra), V 9 
“ “ (including hair), - 10 
from nose to ear, 2 5 
Height of ear, 6 
Heel to end of claws, 2 5 
Length of nail of middle hind-toe, - - - - 4 j 
fore-foot and nails, ... - 16 
nail of middle toe of fore-foot, - - 4 j 
HABITS. 
Spermophilus Macrourus is an active and sprightly fellow, readily 
ascending trees on occasion, and feeding on nuts as well as seeds, roots, 
and grasses. 
This species is in some districts rather numerous, and when in the rainy 
season some of the low grounds are submerged, takes to the trees, and 
sometimes curious fights occur between it and the wood-peckers. Five or 
six of the latter will on observing the Spermophile, unite against him, and 
cutting about in the air, peck at him as they dart swiftly around the perse- 
cuted animal, which is lucky if a hollow into which he can retreat be near, 
and frequently indeed the wood-peckers’ holes are entered by him, but the 
angry and noisy birds still keep up their cries and fly with fury at the 
hole, and although they can no longer peck the animal they keep him in 
a state of siege for a considerable time. 
The origin of this animosity may be the fact of the Spermophile (as well 
