RODE NT IA—-A1URINAE-SIGMODON BERLANDIERI. 
505 
the fourth. The central three toes are equal and longest, the first and fifth extend to the same 
distance (just beyond the base of the longer toes) and rise nearly opposite each other. The first 
claw is, however, the larger ; the palms are broad and naked from the heel. 
The upper parts, generally, are of a gray yellow brown, lined with dark brown, a little clearer 
along the sides. The under parts, with the top of the hind foot, are dull grayish white. The 
hairs everywhere are plumbeous at base, this color above becoming darker near the yellowish 
hrown ends, which are tipped with black. Everywhere interspersed on thq back are many 
longer hairs entirely black. 
Measurements . 
566 Q 
Inches. 
Lines. 
Nose to occiput_______ 
1 
8 
8* 
6 
ear__-_-____,_«,__ 
1 
root of tail. __ 
6 
8 
end of outstretched hind legs_ 
7 
Tail, from root to end of vertebrae_ 
4 
7 
Ears, height posteriorly___ 
n 
2 
internally above notch_ 
Arm, between claws across shoulder_ 
4 
fore foot to end of claw._ 
7 
longest claw____ 
H 
Leg, from knee joint to end of claws_ 
2 
tibia_ 
8 
hind foot from heel to end of claws_ 
1 
2 
longest claw_ 
longest toe and claw_,. 
This species is readily distinguishable from S. Msjoidus by the much lighter color above, 
where it is grayish yellow brown, instead of distinct reddish brown ; the tail is considerably 
longer and covered by finer annuli. The toes are shorter and the metatarsus shorter, while 
the feet are nearly the same length. The claws, however, are much weaker. The tail is com¬ 
posed of twenty-one vertebrte. 
This species bears some resemblance to the Arvicola texiana of Audubon and Bachman, and 
may possibly be the same. According to these authors, however, this last mentioned species is 
of a very different genus ; the tail is very little shorter than the head and body (4 inches to 
4jL,) the hind feet 1.25 inch ; the back brownish yellow, spotted with irregular small blotches 
of black, a faint, obscure stripe of black on each side ; sides reddish brown, belly whitish gray. 
All these features, if properly belonging to the species, render it very different from 8. herlandieri, 
although it is quite possibly a Sigmodon. 
