HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY OF THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY r UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS ^ MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY MUS. GOMPTzmLl LIBRARY JUN -8 19! : HARVARD UNIVERSITY Volume 1 1946-1950 EDITORS E. Raymond Hall Donald S. Farner Donald F. Hoffmeister H. H. Lane A. Byron Leonard Edward H. Taylor Robert W. Wilson Museum of Natural History University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 1950 MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE, KANSAS PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND, JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA, KANSAS 1950 * 23-2413 u« | y I',' JUN - CONTENTS 1. The pocket gophers (genus Thomomys) of Utah. By Stephen D. Durrant. Pp. 1-82, 1 figure in text. August 15, 1946. 2. The systematic status of Eumeces pluvialis Cope, and noteworthy records of other amphibians and reptiles from Kansas and Oklahoma. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 85-89. August 15, 1946. 3. The tadpoles of Bufo cognatus Say. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 93-96, 1 figure in text. August 15, 1946. 4. Hybridization between two species of garter snakes. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 97-100. August 15, 1946. 5. Selected records of reptiles and amphibians from Kansas. By John Breu- kelman and Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 101-112. August 15, 1946. 6. Kyphosis and other variations in soft-shelled turtles. By Hobart M. Smith. Pp. 117-124, 3 figures. July 7, 1947. 7. Natural history of the prairie vole (Mammalian genus Microtus). By E. W. Jameson, Jr. Pp. 125-151, 4 figures in text. October 6, 1947. 8. The postnatal development of two broods of great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) . By Donald F. Hoffmeister and Henry W. Setzer. Pp. 157- 173, 5 figures in text. October 6, 1947. 9. Additions to the list of the birds of Louisiana. By George H. Lowery, Jr Pp. 177-192. November 7, 1947. 10. A check-list of the birds of Idaho. By M. Dale Arvey. Pp. 193-216. November 29, 1947. 11. Subspeciation in pocket gophers of Kansas. By Bernardo Villa R. and E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 217-236, 2 figures in text. November 29, 1947. 12. A new bat (Genus Myotis) from Mexico. By Walter W. Dalquest and E Raymond Hall. Pp. 237-244, 6 figures in text. December 10, 1947. 13. Tadarida feniorosacca (Merriam) in Tamaulipas, Mexico. By Walter W. Dalquest and E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 245-248, 1 figure in text. December 10, 1947. 14. A new pocket gopher (Thomomys) and a new spiny pocket mouse (Liomys) from Michoacan, Mexico. By E. Raymond Hall and Bernardo Villa-R. Pp. 249-256, 6 figures in text. July 26, 1948. 15. A new hylid frog from eastern Mexico. By Edward H. Taylor. Pp. 257- 264, 1 figure in text. August 16, 1948. 16. A new extinct emydid turtle from the Lower Pliocene of Oklahoma. By Edwin C. Galbreath. Pp. 265-280, 1 plate. August 16, 1948. 17. Pliocene and Pleistocene records of fossil turtles from western Kansas and Oklahoma. By Edwin C. Galbreath. Pp. 281-284, 1 figure in text. August 16, 1948. 18. A new species of heteromyid rodent from the Middle Oligocene of north- east Colorado with remarks on the skull. By Edwin C. Galbreath. Pp. 285-300, 2 plates. August 16, 1948. 19. Speciation in the Brazilian spiny rats (Genus Proechimys, Family Echi- myidae). By Joao Moojen. Pp. 301-406, 140 figures in text. December 10, 1948. 20. Three new beavers from Utah. By Stephen D. Durrant and Harold S. Crane. Pp. 407-417, 7 figures in text. December 24, 1948. 21. Two new meadow mice from Michoacan, Mexico. By E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 423-427, 6 figures in text. December 24, 1948. 22. An annotated check list of the mammals of Michoacan, Mexico. By E. Raymond Hall and Bernardo Villa-R. Pp. 431-472, 2 plates, 1 figure in text. December 27, 1949. 23. Subspeciation in the kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ordii. By Henry W. Setzer. Pp. 423-573, 27 figures in text, 7 tables. December 27, 1949. (Concluded on back cover) 24. Geographic range of hooded skunk, Mephitis macroura, with description of a new subspecies from Mexico. By E. Raymond Hall and Walter W. Dalquest. Pp. 575-580, 1 figure in text. January 20, 1950. 25. Pipistrellus cinnamomeus Miller 1902 referred to the genus Myotis. By E. Raymond Hall and Walter W. Dalquest. Pp. 581-590, 5 figures in text. January 20, 1950. 26. A synopsis of the American bats of the genus Pipistrellus. By E. Raymond Hall and Walter W. Dalquest. Pp. 591-602, 1 figure in text. January 20, 1950. Index pp. 605-638. The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah BY STEPHEN D. DURRANT SEP 6 1916 University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 1, pp. 1-82, 1 figure in text August 15, 1946 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1946 The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah BY STEPHEN D. DURRANT University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 1, pp. 1-82, 1 figure in text August 15, 1946 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence 1946 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Donald S. Farner, Donald F. Hoffmeister Volume 1, No. 1, pp. 1-82, 1 figure in text. Published August 15, 1946 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1946 21-2786 { WW>»V T » $0,55-3 \ 5LP 6 1SM6 The Pocket Gophers (Genusxhomomys) of Utah By STEPHEN D. DURRANT Contribution from the Department of Biology, University of Utah, and the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas. INTRODUCTION The history of pocket gophers of Utah begins with J. A. Allen's mention in 1874 of mounds of these animals. For them he employed the name "Thomomys rufescens?" (1874:65). Actual specimens were reported upon a year later by Elliot Coues (1875:251, 256), who used the name Thomomys talpoides for specimens from "Utah" but later in the same paper listed specimens from Provo as Thomomys talpoides bulbivorus. Even as the great variation in Utah pocket gophers has been perplexing to modern workers, so it was also to Coues seventy years ago who left the problem with the statement that animals from Provo "exhibit among themselves such variations that their labelling becomes a matter of indiffer- ence"! In the same year in another report, Coues and Yarrow (1875:112) used the name Thomomys talpoides umbrinus for animals from Provo. In 1877, Coues again referred these same animals to Thomomys talpoides bidbivorus, using the name um- brinus for the animals of only southern Utah (Coues, 1877:627, 628). The two names Thomomys bottae and Thomomys talpoides, now applicable to gophers in Utah, were synonomized under the name Thomomys talpoides bidbivorus by Coues (1875:256; 1877:627). After this beginning only three other papers, all by J. A. Allen, appeared in the next twenty years. They were reports on collections of mammals made by Walter W. Granger and Charles P. Rowley. One of these contained the description of Thomomys aureus. Like- wise, in the ensuing twenty years there were only three papers, one in 1901 by C. Hart Merriam in which he described Thomomys uinta, one by Allen (1905:119), and Vernon Bailey's (1915) "Re- vision of the pocket gophers of the genus Thomomys" in which he summarized the information then available on these animals within the state. Barnes (1922 and 1927) reprinted the information sum- marized by Bailey. Since 1927 approximately twenty-five papers, mostly taxonomic, have been published in which reference is made to Utah gophers, and especially since 1930 much information has been accumulated about the distribution and speciation of this genus within the state. Specimens to the number of 1,045 have been available for this study. Whereas Bailey doc. cit.) listed only four kinds belonging (3) University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. s to four different species, thirty-five kinds are now known from Utah. Seven of these are herein described as new. The thirty-five kinds are found to belong to only two instead of four full species. Inasmuch as the literature is scattered and since names have been applied in different ways at different times, I have attempted to give a synonomy as complete as possible for each form found within the state. The bibliographies of Hayward (1936 and 1941) and Miller's (1924) "List of North American mammals" have been of great use. Capitalized color terms in the accounts are after Ridgway, Color Standards and Color Nomenclature, Washington, D. C, 1912. In the lists of specimens examined, the localities are listed by counties from west to east, beginning at the northwestern corner of the state, and within each county from north to south. When two localities are on the same latitude, the westernmost is listed first. I am deeply indebted to Professor R. V. Chamberlin, of the University of Utah, for encouragement and support in my investigation. I also acknowledge critical assistance in the preparation of this paper from Professor E. Raymond Hall of the University of Kansas. For the loan of specimens I am grateful to the following: Clinton G. Abbott and Lawrence M. Huey, Natural History Museum of San Diego, San Diego, California; Harold E. Anthony and J. Eric Hill, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York; Seth B. Benson, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California; William H. Burt, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; J. Kenneth Doutt, Carnegie Museum, Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania; Ross Hardy, Dixie Junior College, St. George, Utah; C. Lynn Hayward and Vasco M. Tanner, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; H. H. T. Jackson and Viola S. Schantz, United States Fish and Wild- life Service, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C; Remington Kellogg and Alexander Wetmore, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C; J. S. Stanford, Utah State Agricultural College, Logan, Utah. Unless otherwise indicated, specimens are in the Museum of Zoology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. In lists of specimens examined, abbreviations are employed as follows: (A. M. N. H.) American Museum of Natural History. (N. H. M. S. D.) . . Natural History Museum of San Diego. (M. V. Z.) Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California. (U. M.) Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. (C. M.) Carnegie Museum. (R. H.) Collection of Ross Hardy. (B. Y. U.) Brigham Young University. (U. S. N. M.) United States National Museum. (U. S. A. C.) Utah State Agricultural College. (K. U.) Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah Fig. 1. Map showing the distribution of species and subspecies of pocket gophers in Utah. Guide to subspecies: 12. T. b. aureiventris 24. T. b. lenis 1. T. t. gracilis 13. T. b. robustus 25. T. b. levidensis 2. T. t. wasatchensis 14. T. b. minimus 26. T. b. osgoodi 3. T. t. oquirrhensis 15. T. b. ncsophihis 27. T. b. howelli 4. T. t. uinta 16. T. b. stansburyi 28. T. b. wahwahensis 5. T. t. ■pygmaeus 17. T. b. albicaudatvs 29. r. b. dissimilis 6. T. t. ravus 18. T. b. bonnevilln 30. T. b. aureus 7. T. t. ocius 19. T. b. centralis 31. T. b. birdseyei 8. T. t. moorei 20. T. b. sevieri 32. T. b. virgineus 9. T. t. fossor 21. T. b. convexus 33. T. b. planirostris 10. T. t. ■parowanensis 22. T. b. tivius 34. T. b. absonus 11. T. t. levis 23. T. b. contractus 35. T. b. alexandrae 6 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Genus Thomomys Wied All pocket gophers of Utah belong to the genus Tho?nomys. There are only two species within the state, Thomomys bottae with twenty- four subspecies and Thomomys talpoides with eleven subspecies. Due to marked mutational capacities and ready response to en- vironmental pressures and sedentary habits, pocket gophers differ- entiate readily into numerous subspecies. It is well known that Utah by its highly varied topography and climate possesses widely different types of habitats. The aforementioned plasticity of these animals and possibly the fact that both species are at the extreme limits of their ranges in Utah account for the numerous forms found within the state. The genus may be characterized as follows: Highly specialized fossorial rodents, with heavy, thick bodies; all four legs of ap- proximately equal length, but front legs more muscular for digging, and feet provided with long claws; external fur-lined cheek pouches; small eyes, short ears and tail; upper incisors long and projecting external to lips. Skull: Stout and flattened; zygo- matic arches well developed and usually widely spreading; all teeth with permanent pulp cavities; incisors superficially smooth, but fine median groove present on anterior face of each upper incisor; dental formula, '• — • c - — • p- — • m - — ; external auditory canal long; sta- pedial artery small and enclosed within an osseous canal. Thomomys talpoides (Richardson) Thomomys talpoides is a northern species that in Utah approaches the southern limits of its range. The animals of this species inhabit the mountains and high valleys. In the southward extension of their range, as in Utah, they are found at higher elevations which zonally represent lower elevations at more northern latitudes. The specific characters are: Sphenorbital fissure absent; incisive fora- mina anterior to infraorbital canal; anterior prism of P4 triangular; interparietal relatively large; lambdoidal suture concave posteri- orly in region of interparietal, in Utah specimens. Thomomys talpoides gracilis Durrant Thomomys quadrat us gracilis Durrant, Bull. Univ. Utah, 39 (No. 6) :3, February 28, 1939. Thomomys talpoides gracilis Durrant, Bull. Univ. Utah, 30 (No. 5) :6, August 24, 1939; Goldman, Journ. Mamm., 25:414, December 12, 1944. Thomomys quadratics fishrri Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:4, April 10, 1931. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 7 Thomomys uinta Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:114, November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :83, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12): 104, June, 1927. Type. — Male adult, skin and skull; No. 44866, Museum of Vertebrate Zo- ology, University of California; Pine Canyon, 6,600 ft., 17 mi. NW Kelton, Box Elder County, Utah; July 12. 1930; collected by Annie M. Alexander; original number 676. Range. — Mountainous regions of extreme northwestern Utah. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Buck- thorn Brown grading over the sides and flanks to Light Buff on the under- parts; chin white; nose and postauricular patches grayish black. Claws on front feet long and slender. Skull: Long and slender; rostrum long and narrow; zygomatic and mastoidal breadths slight; palatal pits deep; upper incisors narrow; basioccipital wide. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys talpoides jisheri, gracilis is of approximately the same size. Upper parts darker and underparts lighter; postauricular patches larger and darker; claws on front feet longer and slenderer. Skull: Generally longer and narrower; nasals and rostrum longer; basioccipital wider. As compared with T. t. uinta, gracilis is of approximately the same size but differs as follows: Color: Lighter throughout; post- auricular patches markedly smaller and lighter; inguinal and pec- toral regions much lighter. One characteristic difference is in the ear. In uinta the external opening of the ear is much larger; the pinna of the ear is larger, more rounded at the tip, and lacks most of the pigmentation on the inner margin. Skull: Generally narrower and longer; nasals longer; zygomatic arches weaker and less angular; upper incisors narrower. This form is easily distinguished from bridgeri by smaller size, and by the skull being longer, narrower and less angular. From Thomomys talpoides oquirrhensis to the southeast, T. t. gracilis ean be distinguished by: Total length and ear shorter. Color: Generally lighter, except the underparts which are about fhe same; postauricular patches larger and more deeply pigmented. Skull: Braincase less inflated; nasals truncated posteriorly as op- posed to rounded; zygomatic and mastoidal breadths less; rostrum shorter but narrower; upper incisors narrower and shorter. For comparisons with ivasatchensis see comparisons under that form. In general, this mountain form can be distinguished from all other talpoides in Utah by lighter color, narrow, slender, "graceful" skull whence the name gracilis is derived. 8 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Remarks. — In Utah, gracilis is limited to the extreme north- western corner of the state. This part of the state is in the Snake River drainage. The main part of the range of this race lies in south-central and southwestern Idaho and northeastern Nevada. The center of its range might be considered to be in the Jarbidge Mountains area of Nevada. The south slopes of these mountains are in the Humboldt River drainage, while the north slopes are in the Snake River drainage, and this subspecies occurs as far north as the Snake River and south and west almost to central Nevada. No specimens are available from the area in Utah between the Raft River Mountains inhabited by gracilis and the Wasatch Mountains in central Utah inhabited by wasatchensis. Judging from the nature of the terrain, the range of gracilis does not extend eastward much beyond the Raft River Mountains. The type locality for a gopher of a different species, Thomomys bottae aureiventris, is in the first valley east of these mountains. Furthermore, all valleys to the east and south, as far as known, are inhabited by gophers of the bottae group. Also, all mountain ranges in this area, as far east as the Wasatch Mountains are inhabited by members of the bottae group. No specimens from Utah indicate intergradation between gracilis and wasatchensis, the form to the east, but specimens from farther north at Albion, Cassia County, Idaho, do show intergradation. Bailey (1915:116), Hall (1931:4), and Durrant (1939:6) have re- ported on these specimens which at the present time seem best re- ferred to T. t. gracilis. Specimens examined. — Total, 24, distributed as follows: Box Elder County: Yost, 4 (U. S. A. C.)i Pine Canyon, 0,600 ft., 17 mi. NW Kelton, 7 (M. V. Z.): Lynn Canyon, Raft River, 4; Park Valley, 3 (U. S. A. C); Etna, 4 (U. S. A. C); Raft River Mountains, Clear Creek Camp of Minnedoka National Forest, 1 (R. H.); Raft River Mountains, 1,500 feet above Clear Creek Camp of Minnedoka National Forest, 1 (R. H.). Thomomys talpoides wasatchensis new subspecies Thomomys quadratus uinta Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:4, April 10, 1931. Thomomys talpoides vinta Goldman, Journ. Mamm., 20:234. May 14, 1939. Thomomys uinta Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:114, November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :83, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12) :104, June, 1927; Stanford. Journ. Mamm., 12:360, November 11, 1931. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 1604, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Midway, 5,500 ft., Wasatch County, Utah; September 1, 1936; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 1049. Range. — Wasatch Mountains and neighboring high valleys as far south as Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah County. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 9 Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Snuff Brown, finely mixed with black; sides and flanks Sayal Brown; underparts overlaid with Cinnamon Buff, with suffusion of black on underfur; postau- ricular patches black, extending around ear; ears pointed and covered with Liack hairs; nose, cheeks, chin and top of head dusky; front feet, hind feet and distal part of tail white; tail covered proximally with light brown hairs. Skull : Moderately heavy and ridged ; nasals long, wide posteriorly and not markedly dilated distally ; posterior ends of nasals emarginate ; zygomatic arches fairly widely spreading and angular, being nearly straight in adults, but tending to bow out slightly at posterior ends in young; zygomatic processes of maxillae heavy; interparietal small and variously shaped, but always wider than long; interorbital region fairly wide; well marked dorsal depression in frontals post- erior to ends of nasals; interpterygoid space narrowly V-shaped; tympanic bullae large; occipital condyles large and widely separated; foramen mag- num large and higher than wide; basioccipital wide; dentition light. Comparisons. — From topotypes of Thomomys talpoides moorei, wasatchensis differs as follows: Size slightly larger; ears longer and more pointed. Color: Generally darker throughout; postauricular patches smaller. Skull: Zygomatic arches not as widely spreading; zygomatic processes of squamosals dip farther ventrally; premax- illae less extended posterior to nasals; nasals wider posteriorly and less dilated distally; median dorsal depression of frontals present; tympanic bullae generally larger, but less inflated ventrally; fora- men magnum larger especially in dorsoventral dimension; occipital condyles farther apart; basioccipital wider; alveolar length of upper molar series less; molariform teeth smaller; upper incisors wider and shorter. Topotypes of wasatchensis differ from topotypes and near topo- types of Thomomys talpoides uinta as follows: Size larger in every measurement taken. Color: Darker throughout; ears longer and more pigmented; opening of external ear smaller; postauricular patches larger. Skull: In females larger throughout, more mas- sive and angular; nasals longer, wider and not so dilated distally; rostrum longer but wider; zygomatic arches wider, more angular and less widely spreading posteriorly; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; tympanic bullae larger, but less inflated ventrally; foramen magnum larger and more ovoid; width across occipital condjdes greater; basioccipital wider; molariform teeth smaller; upper incisors shorter and wider. Topotypes of wasatchensis can be distinguished from those of Thomomys talpoides oquirrhensis as follows: Size larger; tail longer; ears longer. Color: Slightly darker on sides and under- parts. Skull: Heavier, more ridged and angular; nasals more di- 10 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. lated distally; posterior ends of nasals more deeply emarginate; zygomatic arches heavier and more widely spreading, but more nearly parallel and less divergent posteriorly; zygomatic processes of maxillae much heavier; braincase and tympanic bullae larger; pterygoid hamulae shorter; interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; wider across occipital condyles; foramen magnum larger and more ovoid. From topotypes of Thomomys talpoides gracilis, wasatchensis differs as follows: Size larger; hind foot longer; ears longer and more pointed. Color: Darker throughout; postauricular patches relatively smaller. Skull: Larger, heavier and more angular; nasals emarginate posteriorly as opposed to truncate; rostrum heav- ier; zygomatic arches heavier and more widely spreading; zygo- matic processes of maxillae much heavier and more angular; mas- toid breadth greater; interparietal relatively smaller; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals actually as well as relatively less; palatal pits deeper; tympanic bullae larger; interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; foramen magnum more ovoid; upper in- cisors wider. Topotypes of wasatchensis can be readily distinguished from those of Thomomys talpoides levis and parowanensis by larger size; more massive, ridged, angular skulls; larger tympanic bullae; large, ovoid foramen magnum; and relatively smaller interparietal. Remarks. — Specimens from Mount Timpanogos and environs are intergrades between moorei and wasatchensis. They resemble moorei in the shape and size of the tympanic bullae, and are inter- mediate in the size and shape of the foramen magnum. In the ma- jority of characters they resemble wasatchensis to which they are here referred. The animals from east of Salt Lake City in Salt Lake County are intergrades between oquiirhensis and wasatchensis and show some characters of uinta, but are referable to wasatch- ensis. Animals from Morgan County and western Summit County are intergrades between wasatchensis and uinta. They resemble uinta in size, shape of nasals and size of tympanic bullae. The re- mainder of the cranial details place them with ivasatchensis. Mor- phologically the animals from Wellsville, Cache County, were the closest to the topotypes of any obtained and are nearly indistin- guishable from them. Like the topotypes of wasatchensis this popu- lation inhabits a high valley. The remaining specimens from Cache County resemble those from Morgan and Summit counties. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 11 SpeciTnens examined. — Total, 119, distributed as follows: Cache County: Logan Canyon, Beaver Basin, Utah-Idaho Line, 2 (U. S. A. C.)i Logan Canyon, Tony Grove Camp, 6 (U. S. A. C); Logan Canyon, Green Camp, 3 (U. S. A. C); Logan Canyon, 3 (U. S. A. C); Logan Mountains, 20 mi. E Logan, 3 (U. S. A. C); Logan Peak area, 13 (U. S. A. C); near Providence Peak, Logan Mountains, 1 (U. S. A. C.) ; Wellsville, 10 (U. S. A. C); Hardware Ranch, Blacksmith Fork, 1 (U. S. A. C.) ; Avon, 1 (U. S. A. C); 1 mi. E Avon, 1 (U. S. A. C); 7-8 mi. E Avon, 1 (U. S. A. C). Weber County: South Fork, Ogden River, 18 mi. E Ogden, 4 (M. V. Z.). Morgan County: East Canyon, 18 mi. NW Park City, 6,000 ft., 1. Davis County: 8 mi. NE Salt Lake City, 1. Salt Lake County: Mouth of Dry Canyon, 1 mi. NE Salt Lake City, 1 ; 4 mi. above mouth City Creek Canyon, 5,000 ft., 1 ; mouth of Emigration Canyon, 1 ; mouth of Millcreek Canyon, 1 ; Lambs Canyon, 13 mi. SE Salt Lake City, 2 (C. M.); mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, 1. Summit County: Park City, 1 (U. S. N. M.). Wasatch County: Midway, 5,500 ft., 29. Utah County: Mt. Timpanogos, 1 mi. N Aspen Grove, 7,500 ft., 20; Aspen Grove, Mt. Timpanogos, 5 (1, U. S. A. C. ; 4, B. Y. U.); Head of Grove Creek, Mt. Timpanogos, 4 (B. Y. U.). Additional Records: Weber County: Ogden, 6. Salt Lake County: Parleys Canyon, 1 (Bailey, 1915:114). Thomomys talpoides oquirrhensis Durrant Thomomys talpoides oquirrhensis Durrant, Bull. Univ. Utah, 30 (No. 5): 3, October 24, 1939. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull; No. 2605, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Settlement Creek, Oquirrah Mountains, 6,500 ft., Tooele County, Utah; June 11, 1938; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 1461. Range. — Known only from the Oquirrh Mountains, which are in Salt Lake, Tooele and Utah counties, Utah. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements); ear long; tail short, claws of front feet long and slender. Color: Upper parts Buckthorn Brown, mixed with black, grading over the sides and flanks to Pinkish Buff on the ventral surface ; feet white ; nose grayish black ; postauricular patches medium in size and black; chin and throat with varying amounts of white; proximal two- thirds of tail dark brown, distal third white. Skull : Long and slender, but relatively wide across mastoidal region; nasals long and rounded posteriorly; rostrum long and narrow; zygomatic arches weak and not widely spreading, tending to be slightly bowed out posteriorly, but in the main roughly parallel to the sides of the skull; outer margin of zygomatic arch slightly concave, and zygomatic arch dips deeply ventrad; dorsal surface of skull smooth, with weakly defined parietal crests; parietal crest nearly parallel, but bowed me- dially, in parietal region, and flaring widely posteriorly to pass lateral to inter- parietal; tympanic bullae large, truncate anteriorly and markedly inflated ventrally; upper incisors short and fairly robust. Comparisons. — From Thomomys talpoides uinta, oquirrhensis may be differentiated as follows: Color: Darker throughout; post- auricular patches larger and darker; ears longer and more pointed; inner margin of pinna heavily pigmented; external opening of ear smaller. Skull: Nasals rounded posteriorly rather than deeply emarginate, and less flaring distally; zygomatic arches weaker and markedly less widely spreading; pterygoid hamulae weaker; basi- sphenoid narrower; upper incisors shorter and wider. For comparisons between oquirrhensis and Thomomys talpoides 12 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. gracilis, and oquirrhensis and wasatchensis, see comparisons under those forms. Topotypical specimens of oquirrhensis can be distinguished from those of Thomomys talpoides moorei as follows: Color generally darker, due to greater admixture of black; terminal bands of hair actually lighter; postauricular patches larger and darker; ears longer, more pointed and with more heavily pigmented pinnae; tail shorter. Skull: About the same size; smoother; zygomatic arches weaker and less widely spreading; nasals rounded posteriorly as opposed to emarginate; mastoid breadth less; pterygoid hamulae weaker; upper incisors wider. Remarks. — This race is limited to the Oquirrh Mountains, a high mountain range that lies parallel to, and just west of the Wasatch Mountains, in Utah, Salt Lake and Tooele counties. These moun- tains were connected in past times to the Wasatch Mountains by the Transverse Range, and by a sand and gravel bar deposited by Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. The Jordan River in its course from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake has cut a channel through the aforementioned bar. This channel has been cut to the level of the surrounding valleys as is indicated by the meandering nature of the stream through this part of its course. As a result the Oquirrh Mountains are relatively isolated. Although separated from the Wasatch Mountains by the Jordan River Valley only a few miles wide, the pocket gophers are distinct on each mountain. A popu- lation of T. bottae is interposed between the two mountain ranges as is indicated by specimens from Riverton, six miles north of the Transverse Range. The populations of bottae are subspecifically the same on the two sides of the Jordan River. On the east side of the Oquirrh Mountains, pocket gophers col- lected from the Jordan Valley up Rose Canyon to about 5,000 feet elevation were all of the species T. bottae. Between 5,000 and 6,000 feet there is an area in which the ranges of bottae and tal- poides overlap. When trapping, it is possible to predict what spe- cies will be taken by the types of burrows and soil. Gophers of the bottae group have their burrows in the areas of the deepest soil and heaviest vegetation, whereas the areas of shallow, rocky soil covered with sparse vegetation are the habitat of talpoides. Above 6,000 feet the only gopher encountered is talpoides. Along Settle- ment Creek on the west side of the Oquirrh Mountains, which is the type locality of oquirrhensis, bottae and talpoides have essen- Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 13 tially the same vertical distribution as in Rose Canyon. On this mountain the two species appear to be in competition. The available information, based on collections, indicates that the Oquirrh Mountains are the only mountains west of the Wasatch Range upon which talpoides occurs. In Utah, all other mountains to the west, as far as known, are inhabited by subspecies of of Thomomys bottae. Specimens examined. — -Total, 41, as follows: Tooele Covnty: Settlement Creek, Oquirrh Mountains, 6,500 ft., 14. Salt Lake County: Rose Canyon, Oquirrh Mountains, 5,650 ft., 27. Thomomys talpoides uinta Merriam Thomomys uinta Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 14:112, July 19, 1901; Bailev, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:113, November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :83, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12) :104, June, 1927; Stanford, Journ. Mamm, 12:360; November 11, 1931; Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 28:333, July 15, 1938; Davis, The Recent mammals of Idaho, pp. 239, 259, The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, April 5, 1939. Thomomys talpoides uinta Goldman, Journ. Mamm., 20:234, May 14, 1939. Thomomys quadratus uinta Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:4, April 10, 1931. 22501 Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 3005T' U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; north base Gilbert Peak, Uinta Mountains, 10,000 ft., Summit County, Utah; June 6, 1890; collected by Vernon Bailey; original number 1262 (after Merriam, type not seen). Range. — Uinta Mountains in Duchesne County, eastern Wasatch and Sum- mit counties, and western Uintah County south to the Roan, Brown and Book cliffs in Carbon County. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Snuff Brown finely mixed with black, paling over sides and flanks to near Pinkish Buff on underparts ; postauricular patches relatively small and dusky ; external opening of ear large; pinnae usually lightly pigmented; hind feet white; front feet usually white only at base of toes; distal third to half of tail white; tail usually light below, with proximal dorsal half covered with darker hairs; nose, chin, cheeks and top of head dusky; usually considerable white on throat. Skull: Small, slender, and not heavily ridged; nasals short and dilated dis- tally; posterior margins of nasals emarginate; zygomatic arches moderately widely spreading, widest posteriorly; interparietal pentagonal or subquadrang- ular; interpterygoid space V-shaped; tympanic bullae well inflated ventrally; upper incisors long and narrow. Comparisons. — For comparisons with other subspecies of Thom- omys talpoides, see accounts of those forms. Remarks. — The range formerly ascribed to uinta (Bailey, 1915:114; Barnes, 1922:83, 1927:104) is now known to be inhabited by animals belonging to three distinct subspecies. The range of uinta as now understood is restricted to the southern and western 14 University of Kansas Plbls., Mus. Nat. Hist. parts of the Uinta Mountains and their environs. Three specimens from the Book Cliffs, Sunnyside, Carbon County, are not typical, but in a majority of their characters agree with uinta to which they are here referred. I have seen only one specimen from the type locality. It is one of the series on which Merriam (1901:112) based his original de- scription. In addition, I have studied several large series of near topotypes. From the material at hand, and from Merriam's descrip- tion (loc. cit.) , I regard the animals on which the name uinta was based as intergrades between Thomomys talpoides ravus, the race to the northeast, on the one hand and the animals of the western and southern parts of the Uinta Mountains on the other hand. The affinities of the type series are with the animals from the latter area which are here all referred to uinta. Specimens examined. — Total, 41, distributed as follows: Summit County: 2 mi. S junc- tion Bear River and Haydens Fork, 2 (C. M.): N base, Gilbert Peak. 10,000 ft., 1 (U. S. N. M.); Smith and Moorehouse Creek, 2; Bald Peak, 25 mi. NE Kamas, 15 (8, M. V. Z. ; 6, C. M.). Duchesne County: Petty Mountain, 15 mi. N Mountain Home, 9,500 ft., 6 (C. M.). Wasatch County: Wolf Creek Pass, 18 mi. NW Hanna, 1 (U. S. A. C); Lost Lake, Uinta Mountains, 10 (B. Y. U.); Current Creek, Uinta Mountains, 1 (U. S. N. M.). Carbon County: Forks, Sunnyside, 9,000 ft,, 3. Additional records. — Summit County: Uinta Mountains, 6 (see Bailey, 1915:114). Thomomys talpoides pygmaeus Merriam Thomomys -pygmaeus Merriam. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 14:115. July 19, 1901. Thomomys talpoides pygmaeus Davis, The Recent mammals of Idaho, p. 252, The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, April 5, 1939. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 55251, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; 10 mi. NE Montpelier, in open sagebrush of Transition Zone, 6,600 ft., Bear County, Idaho; July 29, 1893; collected by Vernon Bailey; original number 4150 (after Merriam, type not seen; see. also, Bailey, 1915:109). Range. — Limited to Daggett County. Diagnosis. — Size: Small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts near Bister slightly mixed with black, grading over sides and flanks to Ochraceous Buff on underparts; postauricular patches small and dusky; hind feet white; front feet dusky, being white only at base of claws; chin and nose dusky; tail brown, lighter below and tipped with white. Skull: Very small, slender and smooth; nasals short and slender; zygomatic arches weak and not widely spreading; rostrum narrow; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals short; parietal ridges hardly noticeable ; interparietal large ; extension of supra- occipital posterior to lambdoidal suture long; tympanic bullae actually small, but relatively large; basioccipital narrow; interpterygoid space narrow and acutely angled; upper incisors markedly recurved; molariform teeth rela- tively large. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 15 Comparisons. — This small pocket gopher can be distinguished from all other members of Thomomys talpoides occurring in Utah by remarkably small size, and slender, weak, small skull with strongly recurved upper incisors. Remarks. — The specimens used in this study were those recorded by Svihla (1931:261). She reports that they were obtained in the flood-plain banks of the streamsides, and preferred the pine belt. This shows probably an extension of range with reference to life zones, as heretofore the main reported localities of capture have been in sagebrush in the Transition Life-zone. Insofar as I am aware, Mrs. Svihla's specimens are the only ones of this subspecies ever obtained in Utah. Additional work is neces- sary in southwestern Wyoming to outline accurately the geographic distribution of this subspecies. In comparison with topotypes, the specimens from Utah are lighter in color and some specimens have slightly larger skulls, suggesting slight intergradation with Thom- omys talpoides uinta. Specimens examined. — Total, 18 (all in Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan), distributed as follows: Daggett Comity: Sheep Creek, 4; 1 mi. W Summit Springs, 4; Beaver Creek, 22 mi. S Manila, 9; Granite Park, 24 mi. S Manila, 1. Thomomys talpoides ravus new subspecies Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 13690, Carnegie Museum; Vernal- Manila Highway, 19 mi. N Vernal, 8,000 ft., Uintah County, Utah; August 22. 1937; collected by J. K. and M. T. Doutt; original number 4718. Range. — Uinta Mountains in Daggett, northern Uintah and northern Sum- mit counties. Diagnosis. — Size large (see measurements); ears relatively narrow; hind foot relatively small. Color: Upper parts between Drab and Light Drab, darkest along middorsal line due to mixture of hairs tipped with light brown; sides and flanks Light Drab; entire underparts creamy white; front and hind feet, ventral surface of tail and end of tail white; proximal two-thirds of tail covered dorsally with light brown hairs; nose and cheeks dusky; post- auricular patches black. Skull: Large, heavy and ridged; rostrum long and narrow; nasals long, moderately dilated distally and with a distal hump; posterior ends of nasals emarginate; parietal and lambdoidal crests well de- veloped; zygomatic arches moderately heavy and widely spreading, widest posteriorly; zygomatic processes of maxillae moderately heavy and flaring abruptly from base of rostrum; marked middorsal depression in frontals pres- ent; interparietal pentagonal; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals long; posterior tongues of premaxillae long, slender and rounded proximally; braincase high, vaulted and relatively narrow; tympanic bullae well inflated ventrally, and ridged in old animals; pterygoid hamulae long; interptergoid space narrowly V-shaped; upper incisors long and narrow; molariform teeth medium. 16 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys talpoides bridgeri, ravus differs as follows: Size larger; hind foot smaller; ears narrower. Color: Lighter throughout, grayish as opposed to brown. Skull: Smaller, narrower, less angular and less massive; nasals, rostrum, zygomatic processes of maxillae, ascending branches of premaxillae and posterior tongues of premaxillae all narrower; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals longer; interparietal wider; braincase higher and narrower; tympanic bullae approxi- mately the same size, but more inflated ventrally; interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; upper incisors narrower; molari- form teeth weaker. Compared with topotypes and near topotypes of Thomomys talpoides uinta, ravus differs as follows: Size larger in every meas- urement taken. Color: Lighter throughout, being grayish as op- posed to brown. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken; ros- trum and nasals actually as well as relatively longer; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals longer; upper incisors longer and wider; molariform teeth larger. There is only one other gray subspecies of Thomomys talpoides in Utah, Thomomys talpoides ocius. Topotypes of ravus differ from it as follows: Size markedly larger in every measurement taken. Color: Darker, more brown hairs. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken; premaxillae extended farther posteriorly to nasals; extension of supraoccipital posterior to lambdoidal suture markedly less; tympanic bullae actually as well as relatively smaller; upper incisors longer and more procumbent. This new subspecies can be readily distinguished from all other subspecies of Thomomys talpoides occurring in Utah by markedly greater size and paler, more grayish color. Remarks. — The range of this form appears to be limited to the north slopes of the Uinta Mountains, except in Daggett County where it occurs also on the south slopes. Intergradation in color and in cranial details with bridgeri is shown by animals from the East Fork of Blacks Fork, thirty-one miles SSW Fort Bridger, and by those from Henrys Fork, 8,300 ft., both in Summit County. Due to the grayish color and the narrower, weaker skull they are re- ferred to ravus. Intergradation with uinta is shown by specimens from the type locality of the latter race. The type series of uinta consists of intergrades between ravus and the animals to the west and south (see remarks under uinta) . Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 17 It is doubtful whether bridgeri occurs in Utah. Material from Rich County and extreme northern Cache County would settle the question. Perhaps bridgeri is restricted to the lower valleys in southwestern Wyoming. Two specimens from northern Cache County, from Logan Canyon, Beaver Basin, Utah-Idaho Line appear to be intergrades between bridgeri and wasatchensis, but are refer- able to the latter race. Specimens examined. — Total, 38, distributed as follows: Summit County: Henrys Fork, 8,300 ft., 8; E Fork, Blacks Fork, 31 mi. SSW Fort Bridger, 4 (C. M.). Daggett County: Venial-Manila Road, 4 mi. W Green's Lake, 7,500 ft., 6 (C. M.); Elk Park, Uinta Mountains, 5 (B. Y. U.). Uintah County: Trout Creek, SE Trout Peak, 22 mi. NW Vernal, 9,300 ft., 5 (C. M.); Vernal-Manila Highway, 19 mi. N Vernal, 8,000 ft., 6 (C. M.); Taylor Peak, 17 mi. N Vernal, 4 (C. M.). Thomomys talpoides ocius Merriam Thomomys clusius ocius Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 14:114, July 19, 1901. Thomomys clusius Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 13:246, No- vember 25, 1896. Thomomys ocius Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:107, November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :83, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No 12): 102, June, 1927. 18852 Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 25586 ■ U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; dry sagebrush mesas at Harveys Ranch, Smiths Fork, 6 mi. SW Fort Bridger, 6,657 ft., Uinta County, Wyoming; May 24, 1890; collected by Vernon Bailey; original number 1194 (after Bailey, type not seen). Diagnosis. — Size small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Tilleul Buff overlaid with Avellaneous, grading over sides and flanks to nearly white on underparts; underparts with faint wash of creamy white; postauricular patches small and dusky and completely circling the ear; nose and cheeks dusky; front feet, hind feet, throat, ventral surface of tail and distal half of tail white. Skull: Small, slender but compact; nasals rounded posteriorly; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals very short; zygomatic arches ro- bust, but not widely spreading, widest posteriorly; interparietal large and pen- tagonal in shape; extension of supraoccipital posterior to lambdoidal suture long; tympanic bullae actually as well as relatively large; basioccipital nar- row; pterygoid hamulae long and ridged; upper incisors short and strongly recurved. Comparisons. — Compared with one topotype and seven near topo- types of Thomomys talpoides pygmaeus, ocius differs as follows: Size larger in every measurement taken. Color: Lighter through- out, grayish as opposed to brown; distal half of tail white as op- posed to only a few white hairs at tip of tail. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken; skull more compact; zygomatic arches 2—2786 18 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. heavier and more widely spreading posteriorly; tympanic bullae larger; upper incisors larger, but equally strongly recurved; molar- iform teeth larger. Topotypes of ocius can be distinguished from those of Thomomys talpoides uinta as follows: Color: Lighter throughout, grayish as opposed to brown. Skull: Nasals rounded posteriorly as opposed to emarginate; zygomatic arches more robust; interparietal penta- gonal as opposed to subquadrangular; extension of supraoccipital posterior to lambdoidal suture markedly greater; tympanic bullae actually as well as relatively much larger; upper incisors short and strongly recurved as opposed to long and procumbent. Specimens of this subspecies can be distinguished from all other members of the species Thomomys talpoides occurring in Utah by their grayish color, and by small, compact skulls with very large tympanic bullae and short strongly recurved upper incisors. Remarks. — Two specimens from Vernal, Uintah County, are in- tergrades between ocius and uinta. They resemble uinta in size and dorsal color, but are slightly lighter tending toward the color of ocius. Ventrally they are intermediate in color but more like ocius. The skulls are more like those of ocius in general appearance, extension of supraoccipital posterior to the lambdoidal suture, shape and thickness of the zygomatic arches, posterior tongues of pre- maxillae, size of tympanic bullae and recurved upper incisors. They more closely resemble uinta in shape of posterior ends of nasals, basioccipital and shape of the zygomatic processes of the squa- mosals. In all of the above mentioned characters, they are inter- mediate between the two named forms, but tend towards one or the other as listed. The majority of characters are more as in ocius to which they are here referred. When Goldman (1939:233, 234) listed the named subspecies of Thomomys talpoides, he hesitated to include ocius and merely men- tioned that ocius, pygmaeus and idahoensis might also belong to talpoides. Davis (1939:240, 241) found intergradation between idahoensis and fuscus and also between idahoensis and pygmaeus, and, therefore, arranged the last two mentioned forms as subspecies of talpoides. This present study reveals intergradation between ocius and uinta, and also between ocius and fossor (see account of fossor). Therefore, ocius is properly to be treated as a subspecies of the series of intergrading forms of which talpoides is the earliest named. All specimens of ocius known from Utah are from the extreme Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 19 eastern part of the northeastern corner of the state. The type lo- cality of ocius is near Fort Bridger, Wyoming, which is north of Utah. I have seen one specimen from 12 miles west of Linwood, Daggett County, Utah, on Henrys Fork in Wyoming. Additional collecting in northern Utah probably will reveal ocius to inhabit also parts of northern Utah. Specimens examined. — Total, 4, distributed as follows: Uintah County: Vernal, 2 (C. M.); Uncompaligre Indian Reservation, 2 (A. M. N. H.). Thomomys talpoides moorei Goldman Thomomys jossor moorei Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. S'ci., 28:335, July 15, 1938. Thomomys talpoides moorei Goldman, Journ. Mamm., 20:234, May 14, 1939. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 248222, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; 1 mi. S Fairview, 6,000 ft., Sanpete County, Utah; February 19, 1928; collected by A. W. Moore; X-catalogue number 24799 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — Wasatch Plateau in Sanpete, Utah, Carbon and Emery counties, and in Wasatch Mountains south of Spanish Fork Canyon. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts be- tween Cinnamon and Sayal Brown, with mixture of black hairs, grading through Cinnamon on sides and flanks to Pale Pinkish Buff on underparts, clearest on inguinal and pectoral regions; nose and cheeks dusky; postauricular patches medium in size and black; ears black; chin buffy white; front and hind feet white; tail mostly white with brownish hairs on dorsal surface. Skull: Large, robust; nasals long and deeply emarginate on posterior ends, and dilated distally; zygomatic arches robust and widely spreading; zygo- matic processes of maxillae heavy; interparietal comparatively small, but always wider than long; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals short; tympanic bullae moderate in size, but markedly inflated ventrally; pterygoid hamulae long; interpterygoid space narrowly V-shaped; upper incisors long and moderately recurved; molariform teeth light. Comparisons. — Topotypes of moorei differ from topotypes and near topotypes of Thomomys talpoides uinta as follows: Size slightly larger. Color: Upper parts and sides lighter; tail lighter; postauricular patches larger and darker; ears more pointed, smaller and darker. Skull: Larger, heavier and more massive; nasals longer, but deeply emarginate posteriorly as in uinta; rostrum wider and longer; zygomatic arches heavier and more angular; zygomatic processes of maxillae heavier; interparietal generally smaller and shorter; braincase wider; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; upper in- cisors longer, but not as procumbent; molariform teeth smaller. Topotypes of moorei can be distinguished from those of Tho- 20 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. momys talpoides oquirrhensis as follows: Size slightly larger; tail longer; ears larger, less pointed. Color: Lighter throughout; post- auricular patches larger. Skull: More ridged and angular; nasals narrower posteriorly, but more dilated distally; posterior ends of nasals more deeply emarginate (while shallowly emarginate in oquirrhensis, they tend to be somewhat rounded) ; rostrum nar- rower; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; least interorbital breadth less ; zygomatic arches more angular and widely spreading; zygomatic processes of maxillae heavier; interparietal smaller; tympanic bullae larger and more inflated ventrally; upper incisors generally longer. The characters that distinguish moorei from Thomomys talpoides parowanensis are: Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Broader, more angular and more nearly flat; zygomatic arches more widely spreading; zygomatic processes of maxillae heavier; posterior ends of nasals emarginate rather than rounded; upper incisors longer. For comparisons of moorei with Thomomys talpoides levis and ivasatchensis see accounts of these forms. Remarks. — Specimens from Colton, show intergradation between moorei, uinta and wasatchensis, but are referable to moorei in the majority of characters. Specimens from Mount Nebo, and the mouth of Reddicks Canyon, in the Wasatch and San Pitch moun- tains, respectively, are intergrades between moorei and wasatchen- sis, but are referable to moorei. That part of the Wasatch Mountains south of Spanish Fork Can- yon is inhabited by pocket gophers that are intergrades between moorei and wasatchensis, but the cranial details show them to be referable to moorei. The range here ascribed to moorei consists of the Wasatch Plateau to the east of Sanpete Valley, the San Pitch Mountains and the southern part of the Wasatch Mountains. The type locality of moorei is situated in the southern end of a high valley that separates the Wasatch Plateau from the San Pitch and Wasatch mountains. Topotypical animals are larger and have more ridged, angular skulls than those from the mountains. Specimens examined. — Total, 48, distributed as follows: Utah County: Near Pay son Lake, 1 (R. H.) ; Mt. Nebo, 25 mi. SE Payson, 10,000 ft., 20; Colton, 8 (B. Y. U.). San- pete County: 1 mi. S Fairview, 6,000 ft., 12 (U. S. N. M.). Juab County: Mouth of Red- dicks Canyon, Wales Mountain (= San Pitch Mountains), 7,500 ft., 5. Emery County: Lake Creek, 11 mi. E Mt. Pleasant, 2 (C. M.). Additional records. — Sanpete County: Ephraim, 5 (see Goldman, 1938:336). Di rrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 21 Thomomys talpoides f ossor Allen Thomomys f ossor Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 5:51, April 28, 1893; Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:111, November 15, 1915; Bames, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):102, June, 1927; Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:4, April 10, 1931. Thomomys talpoides fossor Goldman, Journ. Mamm., 20:234, May 14, 1939. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. |||^-. American Museum of Nat- ural History; Florida, 7,200 ft., La Plata County, Colorado; June 25, 1892; collected by Charles P. Rowley (after Allen, tj^pe not seen). Range. — In the mountains of San Juan and Grand counties, east of the Colorado and Green rivers. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Dresden Brown, grading over sides to Pale Buff on underparts; chin white; ears small, pointed, with deeply pigmented pinnae; postauricular patches grayish black; nose dusky. Skull: Long and narrow; nasals long, rounded proximally and usually simple distally; rostrum long; interparietal triangular; tympanic bullae large, and well inflated ventrally; basioccipital narrow; palate narrow; palatal pits shallow; dentition light. Comparisons. — Near topotypes of fossor can be distinguished from topotypes of Thomomys talpoides ocius as follows: Size larger throughout. Color: Darker throughout, being dark brown as opposed to grayish. Skull: Longer and narrower; nasals and ros- trum longer; extension of supraoccipital posterior to lambdoidal suture markedly less; tympanic bullae markedly smaller; upper incisors longer and not as strongly recurved. Among the races of Thomomys talpoides occurring in Utah, fossor most closely resembles Thomomys talpoides uinta in color and size, but differs from it as follows : Ears smaller, more pointed and with more darkly pigmented pinnae. Skull: Longer, narrower and weaker; rostrum longer; nasals longer, and rounded proximally as opposed to markedly emarginate; interparietal triangular instead of roughly pentagonal; tympanic bullae larger and more inflated ventrally; basioccipital narrower; palate narrower, palatal pits shallower; dentition lighter. Remarks. — Bailey (1915:111) remarked that fossor was one form that held its distinctive characters over a wide range. At that time, its range was understood to include practically all of the moun- tainous parts of Colorado, Utah as far west as the central part of the state, and parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Wyoming. Sub- sequently three new forms have been named from central Utah, (Goldman 1938:334-337) thereby showing variation to be much •J2 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. more prevalent than formerly supposed. The range of jossor in Utah, as now understood, is limited to the mountainous parts of the state south and east of the Colorado and Green rivers in Grand and San Juan counties. The Utah specimens are not typical. At first glance some dif- ferences are noted in the premaxillae and nasals. Four specimens in the collections of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, three from 3 miles east of Creede, Mineral County, and one from 10 miles east of Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado, both of which lie north and east of the type locality of fossor show the same characters as the Utah specimens. Eight specimens from Oak Spring are intergrades between fossor and ocius. In size and color they are like fossor, but the skulls are intermediate. Because the animals are more like fossor in the majority of characters, they are here referred to that race. As a result of these studies and due to the paucity of specimens from Utah, it is advisable, for the present, to refer all these Utah animals to fossor. Additional specimens may reveal characters that will merit the separation of the Utah animals from typical fossor; a desertlike area unfavorable to Thomomys exists between the type locality and eastern Utah. Specimens examined. — Total, 21, distributed as follows: Grand County: Oak Spring, Middle Fork Willow Creek, 15 Mi. N Thompson, 8 (C. M.) ; La Sal Mountains, 1 (U. S. N. M.); Warner Ranger Station, La Sal Mountains, 3 (B. Y. U.). Son Juan County: Geyser Pass, 18 mi. SE Moab, La Sal Mountains, 3 (1, B. Y. U. ; 2, C. M.); 5 mi. W Monticello, 1 (C. M.); Cooley Pass, 8 mi. W Monticello, 2 (C. M.); Joshua Flat, Elk Ridge, 8,300 ft., 3 (M. V. Z.). Thomomys talpoides parowanensis Goldman Thomomys fossor parowanensis Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 28:334, July 15, 1938. Thomomys talpoides parowanensis Goldman, Journ. Mamm., 20:234, May 14, 1939; Long, Journ. Mamm., 21:176, May 14, 1940. Thomomys jossor Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:112, November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):102, June, 1927; Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:4, April 10, 1931; Presnall, Zion-Bryce Mus. Bull., 2:14, January, 1938; Tanner, Great Basin Nat., 1:111, 1940. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 158072, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; Brian Head, Parowan Mountains, 11,000 ft., Iron County, Utah; September 8, 1908; collected by W. H. Osgood; original number 3483 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — High mountains of eastern Iron and Beaver counties, and western Kane and Garfield counties. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Sayal Brown moderately mixed with black, lightest on head; sides lightly washed Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 23 with Buff; underparts Pinkish Buff, clearest on inguinal and pectoral regions; nose and cheeks dusky; postauricular patches large and black; front feet, hind feet and distal half of tail white. Skull: Long and fairly slender; zygo- matic arches not widely spreading; nasals long; rostrum long and slender; posterior ends of nasals truncate or moderately emarginate; extension of pre- maxillae posterior to nasals usually short; tympanic bullae relatively small; upper incisors long and narrow; molariform teeth large. Comparisons. — Compared with Thomomys talpoides kaibabensis, parowanensis differs as follows: Size smaller. Skull: Shorter; na- sals shorter; zygomatic breadth less; nasals truncate or shallowly emarginate posteriorly as opposed to rounded; upper incisors nar- rower. Topotypes of parowanensis differ from topotypes and near topo- types of Thomomys talpoides uinta as follows: Size larger. Color: Usually lighter; postauricular patches larger and darker; ears small with pinnae deeply pigmented as opposed to large and lightly pig- mented. Skull: Larger; zygomatic arches more widely spreading; nasals longer; rostrum longer; posterior ends of nasals truncate or shallowly emarginate as opposed to deeply emarginate; sides of zygomatic arches nearly parallel and not so divergent posteriorly; interparietal larger and less quadrangular; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; upper incisors less procumbent; molariform teeth larger. Among named races of Thomomys talpoides, parowanensis most closely resembles levis, the race nearest geographically to the east, but differs from levis as follows: Size larger. Skull: Longer and wider; rostrum and nasals longer; interparietal quadrangular as opposed to roughly elliptical; upper incisors longer. For comparisons with Thomomys talpoides moorei and wasatch- ensis see accounts of those forms. Remarks. — The mountains of south central Utah are inhabited by pocket gophers that have been designated as Thomomys talpoides parowanensis and T. t. levis by Goldman (1938:334, 336). They are nearly indistinguishable in color and each is variable in cranial details. The diagnostic characters of each form occasionally ap- pear, in varying degrees, throughout the range of the other. The Sevier River Valley separates the ranges ascribed to these two forms. This valley is inhabited by pocket gophers that belong to a different species, Thomomys bottae. The ranges of these two races of talpoides converge southward at the headwaters of the Sevier River. Specimens of parowanensis from the northern limits of its range from the Beaver Mountains in eastern Beaver County 24 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. and those of levis from the northern limits of its range in the Fish Lake Mountains are readily distinguishable from each other. As the ranges converge to the southward, there is progressively more intergradation. The type locality of parowanensis is located in the southern part of its range, while that of levis is in the extreme northern part of its range. Therefore, due to the convergence of the two ranges at the south, the specimens from localities near the type locality of parowanensis show the greatest amount of inter- gradation, if we regard specimens of parowanensis from the type locality as typical of the race. Four specimens from Webster Flat, sixteen miles east of Cedar City, Iron County, and three from Duck Creek, Cedar Mountains, Kane County could equally well be as- signed to either levis or parowanensis. Specimens examined. — Total, 24, distributed as follows: Beaver County: Britts Meadows, Beaver Mountains, 8,500 ft., 7 (3, M. V. Z. ; 2, U. S. N. M. ; 2, C. M.); Puffer Lake, Beaver Mountains, 1 (U. S. N. M.); Kents Lake, Beaver Mountains, 1 (R. H.). Iron County: Lava Beds, 3% mi. SW Panquitch Lake, 1 (C. M.); Brian Head, Parowan Mountains, 2 (1, U. S. N. M. ; 1, C. M.); Webster Flat, 16 mi. E Cedar City, 4; Bear Valley, 2 mi. E B. V. Ranger Station, 1 (R. H.). Garfield County: % mi. W Sunset Point, Bryce National Park, 8,000 ft., 1 (M. V. Z.). Kane County: Navajo Lake, 3 (R. H.); Duck Creek, Cedar Moun- tains, 9,000 ft., 3 (1, R. H.). Additional records. — Garfield County: Panquitch Lake, 1 (see Goldman 1938:335). Iron County: Beaver Mountains, 9 (see Bailey, 1915:112); Buckskin Valley, 1 (see Goldman, 1938:335). Thomomys talpoides levis Goldman Thornomys fossor levis Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 28: 336. July 15, 1938. Thomomys talpoides levis Goldman, Journ. Mamm., 20:234, May 14, 1939. Thomomys fossor Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:112, November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):102, June, 1927. Type .—Female, adult, skin and skull, No. 158079, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; Seven Mile Flat, 5 mi. N Fish Lake, Fish Lake Plateau, 10,000 ft., Sevier County, Utah; October 1, 1908; collected by W. H. Osgood; original number 3616 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — Fish Lake Mountains in Sevier County south into Garfield County, Utah. Diagnosis.— Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts near Sayal Brown, moderately mixed with black, darkest on head and middorsal region, grading to Cinnamon Buff on sides and flanks; underparts Pinkish Buff, clearest on inguinal and pectoral regions; chin, cheeks and nose dusky; postauricular patches large and black; front feet, hind feet and distal half of tail white; ears small and deeply pigmented. Skull: Slender and weak; zygomatic arches not widely spreading; posterior ends of nasals rounded; nasals moderately long and narrow; rostrum long and narrow; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals short; interparietal usually much wider than Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 25 long; pterygoid hamulae ridged; interpterygoid space usually narrowly V- shaped; upper incisors short. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys talpoides moorei, levis differs as follows: Size smaller; tail shorter. Color: Darker throughout, especially on dorsal surface due to more black of the underfur; underparts deeper huff. Skull: Narrower, less massive ; zygomatic processes of maxillae weaker and not as widely spreading; interparietal generally wider; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; posterior ends of nasals rounded rather than emarginate; upper incisors shorter, less procumbent. Topotypes of levis differ from near topotypes of Thomomys tal- poides uinta as follows: Size larger. Color: Upper parts slightly darker; postauricular patches much darker and larger; ears small and deeply pigmented as opposed to large and lightly pigmented; tail darker all around at base, with white part more extensive and with fewer buff-colored hairs. Skull : More convex dorsally ; zygo- matic arches more widely spreading and angular; nasals longer; rostrum longer; interparietal wider and more elliptical; posterior ends of nasals rounded as opposed to emarginate; extension of pre- maxillae posterior to nasals less; pterygoid hamulae more ridged; interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; upper incisors shorter and less procumbent. Topotypes of levis can be distinguished from those of Thomomys talpoides kaibabensis by markedly smaller measurements. For comparisons with Thomomys talpoides parowanensis and wasatchensis see acccounts of those forms. Remarks. — Specimens from the Escalante Mountains and the Aquarius Plateau are not typical. They are of approximately the same color as levis, but are larger than lev is and have cranial details that indicate intergradation with kaibabensis to the south. They resemble kaibabensis in large size, long nasals and widely spreading zygomatic arches, but are like levis in shape of the interparietal, extension of premaxillae posterior to the nasals, rounded posterior ends of nasals, ridged pterygoid hamulae and relatively short upper incisors. Additional material from these regions may prove these animals to merit separation and naming. Specimens examiricd. — Total, 15, distributed as follows: Sevier County: Seven Mile Flat, 5 mi. N Fish Lake, Fish Lake Plateau, 10,000 ft., 2 (U. S. N. M.); Fish Lake Experi- ment Station, 2 (U. S. A. C). Garfield County: Posy Lake, Aquarius Plateau, 2 (B. Y. U.) ; 18 mi. N Escalante, 9,500 ft., 3; Steep Creek, Boulder-Teasdale Road, Boulder Mountain, 4 (B. Y. V.); Summit Birch Creek, Escalante Mountains, 2 (B. Y. U.). 26 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Measurements op Adult Males of Thomomys (In millimeters) H H f 73 f ts 2 M > W f tri o "< s. TO M TO O 2 "1 >Q (B — p =r 3 o ■5." a- •o S. 2 » 9 TO B P. - P a a. B aT O 3 £$- ^ sr $ o W •a Si 2 3 e-f- w ?§ 32, en T3 p 1 It 9 TO M g (0 P — — o ? B f 2 3 1.2 1.1 1.4 14.0 14.0 14.0 6.5 6.4 6.6 0.8 0.5 1.0 14.8 14.2 15.5 7.2 6.9 7.5 0.9 0.6 1.2 14.6 13.0 16.2 7.2 6.8 7.5 1.3 1.1 1.5 13.5 13.3 13.6 6.8 6.8 6.8 1.3 1.0 1.6 14.6 14.0 15.6 6.8 6.4 7.0 0.7 0.5 1.0 16.2 15.9 16.3 7.3 7.0 7.5 T. t. gracilis, 2; topotypes Av 190 58 27 29.7 12.0 19.7 17.3 6.4 7.3 Min 185 54 27 29.5 11.9 19.7 16.9 6.3 7.2 Max 194 61 27 29.9 12.0 19.7 17.6 6.5 7.4 T. t. oquirrhensis, 7; topotypes Av 203 56 27 30.2 12.9 20.4 18.2 6.8 7.5 Min 193 52 25 28.5 12.2 19.5 17.5 6.6 6.7 Max 215 59 28 31.5 13.3 21.0 19.1 7.2 8.0 T. t. wasatchensis, 19; topotypes Av 205 62 27 31.5 12.7 20.5 18.0 6.5 7.4 Min 180 52 23 28.1 11.2 19.3 17.2 6.2 6.0 Max 222 70 30 32.5 14.5 22.0 19.9 6.7 8.1 T. t. uinta, 2; SW slope Bald Peak, Uinta Mts. Av 181 49 25 28.4 11.6 19.8 17.3 6.6 7.2 Min 177 47 25 28.3 11.6 19.8 17.2 6.4 7.0 Max 185 50 25 28.4 11.6 19.8 17.4 6.7 7.3 T. t. moorei, 5; topotypes Av 206 62 26 29.9 12.8 21.5 18.4 6.6 7.3 Min 198 55 24 29.0 12.3 21.0 18.0 6.4 7.0 Max 213 69 28 31.2 14.1 22.5 19.1 6.8 7.5 T. t. fossor, 4; Cascade Creek, La Plata Co., Colo. Av 215 57 29 32.6 14.2 22.0 19.0 6.0 7.5 Min 204 51 28 31.3 13.6 21.5 18.0 5.7 7.1 Max 223 63 30 34.0 14.8 22.9 19.6 6.3 7.8 No. 13684 (CM.) T. t. ravus, 1; topotype 241 71 28 35.7 14.5 24.4 21.5 6.2 7.8 No. 178868 (U.S.N.M.) T. t. pygmaeus, 1 ; Fossil, Wyo. 167 52 20 24.0 10.2 16.5 14.8 5.2 5.6 T. t. ocius, 3; topotypes Av 201 60 25 30.0 13.5 20.5 17.9 6.2 7.2 Min 196 57 25 29.9 13.0 19.9 17.5 6.1 7.1 Max 205 64 25 30.1 14.0 21.5 18.6 6.3 7.3 T. t. paroioanensis, 4; Britts Meadow, Beaver Mountains Av 221 58 29 33.2 14.5 22.8 19.0 6.0 7.8 Min 207 50 28 30.5 12.8 22.7 18.6 5.8 7.4 Max 240 66 30 34.8 15.5 23.0 19.6 6.2 8.1 T. t. levis, 2; topotypes Av 203 65 27 28.1 11.1 19.2 17.7 6.1 6.9 Min 199 61 26 28.0 10.6 18.9 17.5 5.8 6.6 Max 206 70 27 28.2 11.6 19.5 17.9 6.4 7.2 2.7 17.1 8.1 0.7 11.1 5.8 0.8 0.5 1.0 0.9 0.5 1.5 0.8 0.6 1.0 15.0 14.7 15.3 15.4 14.7 17.8 13.0 12.8 13.2 7.4 7.3 7.5 7.3 7.0 7.7 6.8 6.6 7.0 28 University of Kansas Publs., Mtjs. Nat. Hist. Thomomys bottae (Eydoux and Gervais) Thomomys bottae is a southern species that, within the Great Basin, reaches the most northern limits of its distribution in Utah. The animals of this species inhabit the lower valleys, and with the exception of the Oquirrh Mountains, inhabit also the mountains in that part of the state west of the central mountain ranges. The specific characters are: Sphenorbital fissure present; incisive fora- mina posterior to infraorbital canal; anterior prism of P4 rounded; interparietal relatively small; lambdoidal suture straight in region of interparietal, in Utah specimens. Thomomys bottae aureiventris Hall Thomomys perpallidus aureiventris Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool.. 32:444, July 8, 1930; Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:3, April 10, 1931. Thomomys bottae aureiventris Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:156, October 31, 1935. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 43980, Museum of Vertebrate Zo- ology, University of California; Fehlman Ranch, 3 mi. N Kelton, 4,225 ft., Box Elder County, Utah; September 27, 1929; collected by Louise Kellogg; original number 451. Range. — Northwestern Utah, and extreme western Utah as far south as the southern end of the Deep Creek Mountains. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements) ; claws on front feet small. Color: Near Cinnamon on dorsal and ventral surfaces; inguinal region, front and hind feet and distal third to half of tail white; nose, cheeks and post- auricular patches grayish black. Skull: Moderately angular and ridged; zyg- omatic arches nearly parallel with sides of skull; jugals vertical; marked thickening at union of jugal and zygomatic process of maxilla; greatest zygo- matic breadth at anterior part of arches; interpterygoid space lyre-shaped; ventral margin of jugal concave dorsally; nasals long and denticulate distally; parietal ridges bowed in at two places, at coronal suture and at middle of interparietal; paroccipital processes extremely well developed; dorsal fronto- maxillary suture usually straight. Comparisons. — From near topotypes of Thomomys bottae cen- tralis, aureiventris differs as follows: Size larger; tail shorter; hind foot longer; claws on front feet shorter. Color: Slightly darker on upper parts, but with greater extension of white on ventral sur- face. Skull: Zygomatic breadth greater; greatest width across zygomatic arches at anterior rather than posterior region; zygo- matic arches thicker at union of jugals and zygomatic processes of maxillae; dorsal frontornaxillary suture less convex medially; mas- toid breadth greater; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; interpterygoid space lyre-shaped rather than V-shaped. From topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, aureiventris Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 29 can be distinguished by: Size larger; hind foot longer. Color: Mark- edly lighter throughout, Cinnamon as opposed to near (13 " " n) Black. Skull: Larger in all but three measurements taken; exten- sion of premaxillae posterior to nasals less ; alveolar length of upper molar series shorter; zygomatic arches widest anteriorly rather than posteriorly; thickening at union of jugal and zygomatic process of maxilla markedly greater; interpterygoid space lyre-shaped as op- posed to V-shaped; lacrimal processes more globose at tips. Thomomys bottae aureiventris can be readily distinguished from T. b. bonnevillei, sevieri, wahwahensis, and convexus by larger size in all measurements taken and darker coloration. The same dif- ferences obtain in comparison with T. b. tivius and stansburyi ex- cept that aureiventris is much lighter colored. See comparisons under those forms. Remarks. — T. b. aureiventris has one of the most extensive ranges of any race of T. bottae occurring in Utah. The range extends from the valleys of the northwest corner of the state south along the extreme western margin of the state approximately to the southern end of the Deep Creek Mountains. This ascribed range practically bounds the northwest and western margins of the great salt desert in Box Elder and Tooele counties. As far as known, this great waste area harbors no members of the Geomyidae. Pocket gophers were available from four localities in addition to the type locality. In these four localities all of the animals were intergrades. The three specimens from Queen of Sheba Canyon, Deep Creek Moun- tains, although smaller than aureiventris in every measurement taken, resemble it in color and general configuration of the skull. The animals from Trout Creek and Ibapah at the southern end of the range, although referred to aureiventris, are intermediate between it and centralis. In color and measurements they more closely re- semble centralis, but the skulls closely resemble those of aureiventris. The skulls show some slight characteristics of bonnevillei, the form to the east, which indicate an early relationship between the two. Specimens from the east side of Tecoma Range, adjacent to Pilot Peak, although referred to aureiventris are intergrades between it and centralis. Although this locality is nearer the type locality of aureiventris than any of the other record stations, the animals show the maximum departure from topotypes in morphological features. In color they approach centralis, and agree with it in one-half of the measured characters. The general configuration of the skull and a majority of the critical diagnostic characters, for example, 30 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. jugal thickening, are more nearly as in aureiventris. From the above remarks it is readily understood that this subspecies is ex- tremely variable. Specimens examined. — Total, 55, distributed as follows: Box Elder County: Fehlman Ranch, 3 mi. N Kelton, 4,255 ft., 8 (7, M. V. Z.); Utah-Nevada Boundary, E Side Tecoma Range, 4,300 ft., 12. Tooele County: Ibapah, 5,000 ft., 21. Juab County: Queen of Sheba Canyon, W side Deep Creek Mountains, 5,600 ft., 11. Thomomys bottae robustus new subspecies Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 2726, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Orr's Ranch, Skull Valley, 4,300 ft., Tooele County, Utah; June 19, 1938; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 1583. Range. — Skull Valley, Tooele County, Utah. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements); tail short; hind foot short. Color: In a series of 24 animals, upper parts vary from Pale Smoke Gray (4 specimens) through Cinnamon Buff (19 specimens) to Dark Mouse Gray (1 specimen). The Cinnamon Buff color is considered to be typical. Color grading to lighter on underparts; postauricular patches small and grayish black; front and hind feet and distal part of tail white. Skull: Small, flat and heavily ridged; nasals short; zygomatic arches heavy and widely spread- ing, widest posteriorly at union of jugal and squamosal; union of jugal and zygomatic process of maxilla thickened, with a ventrally directed spinous process in sixty percent of the specimens; occasionally there is a second process, also directed ventrally at union of jugal and zygomatic process of squamosal; zygomatic arches convex dorsally; deep dorsal depression present in frontal bones in mature specimens; lacrimal processes prominent, project- ing well above the arch at the anteromedial angle of the orbit ; interpterygoid spaces V-shaped; tympanic bullae well inflated ventrally; upper incisors short, and pale; when placed on a flat plane the dorsal surface of the skull is nearly parallel to the substratum; space enclosed within the zygomatic arches nearly quadrangular. Comparisons. — From topotypes of Thomomys bottae aureiventris, robushis can be distiguished as follows: Size smaller; tail and hind foot shorter. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Smaller, more heavily ridged and more nearly flat; nasals shorter; rostrum rela- tively wider and shorter; zygomatic arches shorter and relatively more widely spreading with greatest width posteriorly as opposed to anteriorly; junction of jugal and zygomatic process of maxilla not as prominent; aureiventris shows no spinous process at this junction; lacrimal processes larger and projecting farther dorsally; enclosed space within zygomatic arches roughly quadrangular as opposed to triangular; mastoidal part of tympanic bullae less ex- posed; sphenorbital fissure smaller; interpterygoid space V-shaped rather than lyre-shaped; palatal pits smaller and shallower; tym- panic bullae smaller, but more inflated ventrally; basioccipital Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 31 averaging relatively wider; molars smaller; upper incisors shorter, smaller and cadmium yellow as opposed to orange yellow. Comparisons of robustus with topotypes of Thomomys bottae al- bicaudatus show the following: Size smaller. Color: Lighter throughout; postauricular patches smaller and lighter. Skull: Smaller, more compact and more nearly flat; rostrum shorter and more nearly straight; lacrimal processes larger, projecting higher above the anteromedial angle of the orbit; parietal ridges uniformly heavier; mastoid width actually as well as relatively wider; zygo- matic arches heavier and relatively much wider (males 76.2 per- cent of basilar length, females 73.8 percent as opposed to males 73.8 percent and females 73.5 percent) ; union of jugal and zygo- matic process of maxilla uniformly more thickened; spinous process at jugal-maxillary suture present; zygomatic arches much more concave on ventral surface; uniform deep depression present in mature adults, between frontal processes of premaxillae, and an- terior interorbital region of frontals; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; sphenorbital fissure more constricted; tym- panic bullae more inflated ventrally, extending well ventrad of basioceipital; palatal pits shallower and smaller; molars smaller; upper incisors shorter, narrower and paler (see comparison of aure- iventris). From near topotypes of Thomomys bottae centralis from 1 mile east of Garrison, Millard County, Utah, robustus differs in: Size smaller; tail and hind foot shorter. Color: Lighter, terminal bands of hair cinnamon, but because more black in underfur the animals appear darker; postauricular patches smaller and lighter. Skull: Shorter, more nearly flat and much more heavily ridged; nasals shorter; rostrum shorter and wider; lacrimal processes larger and projecting higher above anteromedial angle of orbit; zygomatic arches heavier, shorter, more angular and actually as well as rela- tively wider; jugals thicker; angle between maxillary plate and rostrum less obtuse; spinous process at jugal-maxillary suture pres- ent; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; parietal ridges much more pronounced; looked at from above, space enclosed within zygomatic arches more quadrangular in shape as opposed to roughly triangular; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; molars smaller; upper incisors shorter, narrower and paler. The characters that distinguish robustus from topotypes of Tho- momys bottae ivuhwahensis are: Size slightly smaller. Color: Darker throughout. Skull: Rostrum longer and narrower; nasals 32 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. longer; zygomatic arches wider and longer; lacrimal processes larger and projecting higher above anteromedial angle of the orbit; parietal ridges more roughened; tympanic bullae much larger and more inflated ventrally; supraoccipital higher; middorsal depression in frontals present. For comparisons with Thomomys bottae bon- nevillei see account of that form. The remaining forms from the Bonneville Basin, namely, Tho- momys bottae sevieri, convexus, twins and stansburyi are all easily distinguished from robustvs. Specimens of sevieri are paler, smaller in every measurement taken, and the skulls are weaker and less angular. All specimens of convexus are paler, the skulls are more convex dorsally and narrower, with less ridging and angularity. Both tivius and stansburyi are small dark forms, with weak, smooth, small .skulls as compared with robustus which is light colored and has compact, ridged and angular skulls. Remarks. — Twenty-three specimens were obtained at a small isolated spring. Critical study of animals taken only a few miles to the east prove them to be so different as to be referable to an- other subspecies, albicaudatus. T. b. robustus is an endemic form in this desert valley. The variable color is noteworthy but difficult to explain in an isolated population as small as this one. All five of the gray animals are females of which four are lactating adults. The affinities of this subspecies are with albicaudatus to the east, but enough time has elapsed since isolation to enable them to dif- ferentiate. Specimens examined. — Total, 23, from the type locality. Thomomys bottae minimus Durrant Thomomys bottae minimus Durrant, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 52:161, October 11, 1939; Marshall, Joum. Mamm, 21:154, May 14, 1940. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 263942, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; Stansbury Island, Great Salt Lake, Tooele County, Utah; June 25, 1938; collected by William H. Marshall; original number 141. Range. — Known only from the type locality. Diagnosis. — Size small (see measurements) ; tail relatively long. Color : Upper parts Pinkish Buff, darker on head; underparts Pale Pinkish Buff; front and hind feet white; nose, chin and postauricular patches black. Skull: Long, slender and nearly devoid of ridges; braincase moderately inflated; in- terparietal quadrangular; zygomatic arches weak, widest in temporal region, but neither widely spreading nor angular; nasals straight and truncate pos- teriorly; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals relatively great; tym- panic bullae moderately inflated; palatal pits deep; rostrum short but narrow; Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 33 interpterygoid space moderately lyre-shaped; upper incisors narrow; molars light. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, minimus differs as follows: Size markedly smaller; claws on front feet shorter and weaker. Color: Markedly lighter throughout, being Pinkish Buff as contrasted with near (13 " " n) Black. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken; slender, smooth, weak and nonangular as opposed to ridged, robust, wide and angular; zygomatic arches much weaker and not so widely spreading posteriorly ; ascending processes of premaxillae much nar- rower; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; interptery- goid space moderately lyre-shaped as opposed to V-shaped; denti- tion lighter. Topotypes of minimus differ from those of Thomomys bottae aureiventris as follows: Size markedly smaller. Color: Lighter dorsally and no "gold color" on underparts. Skull: Markedly smaller in every measurement taken; weak, smooth and slen- der as opposed to ridged, angular and robust; zygomatic arches weak and widest posteriorly rather than heavy and widest anteri- orly; no great thickening at region of union of jugal and zygomatic process of the maxilla; jugals more nearly straight rather than concave laterally; interpterygoid space not so markedly lyre- shaped; dentition lighter. The races nearest geographically to minimus are Thomomys bottae nesophilus and T. b. stansburyi. For comparisons see ac- counts of those forms. Remarks. — This subspecies is the smallest of all the races of Thomomys bottae occurring in Utah. As far as known it is en- demic to Stansbury Island, and since the Pleistocene Lake Bonne- ville attained its highest level has remained on that part of Stans- bury Island that was above this high level. (See comments under nesophilus.) The sandy nature of the soil and the desert condi- tions of the area that has since been exposed at lower levels ap- parently do not constitute a favorable environment. Unlike neso- philus from Antelope Island, this form does not have its affinities with albicaudatus, the valley form of the adjacent mainland, but does show affinities with stansburyi, the nearest mountain form on the mainland. This is easily understood when one realizes that Stansbury Island is only an isolated part of Stansbury Mountain that projects northward as a peninsula into Great Salt Lake. The 3—2786 34 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. history of Stansbury Island with reference to isolation of minimus parallels that of nesophilus on Antelope Island. See discussion under nesophilus. Specimens examined. — Total, !>, as follows: Tooele County: Stansbury Island, Great Salt Lake, 5 (U. S. N. M.). Thomomys bottae nesophilus Durrant Thomomys bottae nesophilus Durrant, Bull. Univ. Utah, 27 (No. 2) :2, October, 1936; Marshall, Journ. Mamm, 21:156, May 14, 1940. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull. No. 1136, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake, Davis County, Utah; April 20, 1935; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 761. Range. — Known only from the type locality. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements) ; claws on front feet long. Color: Upper parts Cinnamon Buff; lighter below; sides Pinkish Buff inter- spersed with gray; pectoral and inguinal regions Cinnamon; nose grayish black; postauricular patches black. Skull: Interparietal wedge-shaped; tympanic bullae small; dorsal surface of lambdoidal prominence 3 mm. wide rather than developed as a crest; jugals nearly straight; zygomatic arches strongly rectangular. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, nesophilus is of approximately the same size, but differs as follows: Claws on front feet longer. Color: Lighter throughout; tail white terminally, but much darker at base; post- auricular patches smaller. Skull: Interparietal wedge-shaped as opposed to roughly quadrangular; lambdoidal eminence more of a crest than a ridge; tympanic bullae smaller; jugals more nearly straight; zygomatic arches more nearly rectangular. From topotypes of Thomomys bottae aureiventris, nesophilus differs in: Size smaller; claws on front feet longer. Color: Darker throughout; postauricular patches larger. Skull: Heavier, more massive; zygomatic arches more robust and convex laterally rather than concave; interparietal wedge-shaped rather than roughly quadrangular; braincase more nearly flat; tympanic bullae mark- edly smaller; upper molariform series longer; molariform teeth wider and heavier; interpterygoid space V-shaped rather than lyre- shaped. The race nearest geographically to nesophilus is T. b. minimus from Stansbury Island, Great Salt Lake. It can easily be distin- guished from minimus by the following features: Size much larger; claws on front feet longer and thicker. Color: Darker throughout; postauricular patches larger and with more admixture of buff col- Dirrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 35 ored hairs. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken; wide and robust as opposed to narrow and slender; zygomatic arches more widely spreading and angular; braincase more nearly flat; tympanic bullae actually larger, but relatively smaller; lambdoidal eminence flat-topped rather than a crest; interparietal wedge-shaped as op- posed to quadrangular; teeth larger. Remarks. — The affinities of nesophilus of Antelope Island are unquestionably with albicaudatus of the eastern and southern mainland. At the time of this writing (1945), Antelope Island is not truly an island, but only the tip of a broad peninsula projecting westward into Great Salt Lake. Nevertheless, the area of occur- rence of nesophilus is effectively isolated by the exposed, sandy lake bottom that is unsuited to occupancy by pocket gophers. Fluctuations in the level of the Great Salt Lake have broken and reestablished this connection with the mainland many times. Each of the several other kinds of mammals which are known from both the island and the mainland show no differentiation on the island. These are kinds (see Marshall, 1940:156), which more freely cross the exposed, sandy lake bottom. I, myself, have noted tracks of coyotes going to and from the island. The pocket gopher, neso- philus, so far as known is the only mammal which has developed a subspecies endemic to the island. The beach levels of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville are well marked on both Antelope Island and Stansbury Island, which is fifteen miles west of Antelope Island. On the eastern side of Antelope Island the lower beach levels of this prehistoric lake are farmed. Although sought for elsewhere on this island, pocket gophers were found only in the farmed land. On Stansbury Island there has been no farming, and the endemic pocket gophers, minimus, although sought for elsewhere on that island were found only above the highest beach levels of the ancient lake. Evidently these pocket gophers still occupy only that part of Stansbury Island that projected above water during the greatest height of Lake Bonneville. Farming on Antelope Island may have developed a more favorable environment for pocket gophers, thus causing them to move down to the lower levels from that part of the island that was above water during Pleistocene times. Specimens rxamined. — Total, 5, from the type locality. 36 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Thomomys bottae stansburyi new subspecies Type. — Female, adult, skin and skull, No. 2045, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; South Willow Creek, Stansbuiy Mountains, 7,500 ft., Tooele County, Utah; July 2, 1937; collected by O. S. Walsh and S. D. Durrant; original number 1257 of Durrant. Range. — Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah. Diagnosis. — Size small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Saccardo's Umber, darker on head; sides and underparts Pinkish Buff; nose, chin and postauricular patches black; front and hind feet and distal third to half of tail white. Skull: Small, slender, weak and smooth; zygomatic arches light and not widely spreading; zygomatic arches actually as well as relatively short; interparietal generally quadrangular; nasals relatively long and slender; interpterygoid space narrowly V-shaped; basioccipital fairly wide; tympanic bullae moderately inflated ventrally; dentition light. Comparisons. — Topotypical specimens of stansburyi can be read- ily distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae centralis, aurei- ventris and albicaudatus by being smaller in every measurement taken, particularly those of the skull; the skull is weaker and smoother. In color stansburyi is like albicaudatus but is much darker throughout than aureiventris and centralis. Comparisons of topotypes of stansburyi with those of Thomomys bottae sevieri show them to be of approximately the same size, but to differ as follows: Color: Darker throughout. Skull: Zygomatic arches shorter; tympanic bullae less inflated ventrally; zygomatic breadth less; mastoid breadth greater; width across alveolar pro- cesses of maxillae greater; alveolar length of upper molar series greater; molariform teeth larger. Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae minimus, stans- buryi is seen to be of larger size and darker color throughout, with a skull that is larger in most every measurement taken, although of the same slender, smooth, nonangular type. Among named races of Thomomys bottae, stansburyi most closely resembles tivius, a small, dark, mountain form from central Utah. Size and color are almost the same but stansburyi differs in: Tail shorter; hind foot averaging slightly longer. Skull: Generally larger in every measurement taken; zygomatic arches shorter; width across alveolar processes of maxillae greater; zygomatic arches more widely spreading, and widest in extreme posterior re- gion rather than in region of jugal-squamosal suture. Remarks. — The Stansbury Mountains are separated from the Oquirrh Mountains by the Stockton Bar, and from the Onaqui Mountains, which are in reality a continuation of the Stansbury Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 37 Mountains, by only a low pass. Pocket gophers from Clover Creek, Onaqui Mountains and Little Valley, Sheeprock Mountains, al- though intergrades between robustus and albicaudatus are dark in color like stansburyi. These intergrades are large, dark colored, and have heavy, ridged, angular skulls. It appears that stans- buryi is a mountain subspecies derived from albicaudatus of the valley. It would be instructive to artificially transplant gophers from mountains to valleys, and vice versa, so as to reveal what ef- fects if any on the animals' morphology the environment might have in one or a few generations. Gophers are well known to be very plastic, and such an experiment as suggested might call for modification of the view, held here, that the differential features of gophers from South Willow Creek and, say, Bauer, are hereditary. Specimens examined. — Total, 11, from the type locality. Thomomys bottae albicaudatus Hall Thomomys perpallidus albicaudatus Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 32:444, July 8, 1930; Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:3, April 10, 1931. Thomomys bottae albicaudatus Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:156, October 31, 1935; Durrant. Bull. Univ. Utah, 28 (No. 4) :5, August 18, 1937. Thomomys -perpallidus aureiventris Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:3, April 10, 1931. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 43971, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California; Provo, 4,510 ft., Utah County, Utah; Octo- ber 17, 1929; collected by Annie M. Alexander; original number 506. Range. — From the area between the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Mountains south along the western margin of the central mountains of the state to the Sevier River, in Juab County, west into Tooele County to the Onaqui and Sheeprock mountains. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements) ; claws on front feet medium. Color: Upper parts near (13""w) Black, grading over sides and flanks to Pinkish Cinnamon on underparts; chin, nose, top of head and postauricular patches black; front feet, hind feet and distal third to half of tail white. Skull: Angular and ridged; zygomatic arches moderately wide spreading, widest posteriorly; paroccipital processes weak; zygomatic processes of maxillae convex anteriorly; lacrimal processes small and peglike; jugals con- vex dorsally on ventral surface; nasals short, rounded distally and truncate proximally; parietal crests bowed in, in two places; interpterygoid space broadly V-shaped. Comparisons. — For comparisons of albicaudatus with Thomomys bottae aureiventris and centralis see accounts of those forms. Topotypes of albicaudatus are dark colored and can be distin- guished from those of Thomomys bottae birdseyei, tivius, stans- buryi and contractus which are also dark forms, by larger size and larger, more robust skulls (see accounts of those forms). It can be 38 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. distinguished from the remainder of the known subspecies of Thom- oiyiys bottae in Utah by darker color and by cranial details (see ac- counts of those forms). Remarks. — The range of albicaudatus is larger than that of any other race of Thomoinys bottae limited to Utah. Specimens are available from thirty localities which represent widely varied habi- tats and environments. This subspecies consists of many highly variable local populations, and the marginal populations intergrade freely with adjacent races. In many populations, it is really difficult to recognize the relationships on account of the great variation, and one is frequently tempted to name some of them as distinct. Care- ful study of the large number of specimens has enabled me to recog- nize diagnostic characters common to all of these variable popula- tions. The animals range from large and dark at the north to small and light at the south. The Jordan River bisects Salt Lake County from north to south. Pocket gophers were taken at nine places east of the river, and at three places west of it. Gophers from Salt Lake City and environs (east of the river) vaiy in color from almost black to dark cinnamon. Specimens from Draper, which locality is likewise east of the river, are uniformly lighter, but also vary in color. The skulls of animals from both localities are indistinguishable from each other and closely resemble those of topotypes. Specimens from the west side of the river, from Riverton, two miles west of Murray and Rose Canyon, Oquirrh Mountains, all are lighter in color than topotypes. The color varies from darkest at the north at Murray to lightest at the south at Riverton. This is exactly the reverse of what would be expected since Riverton is the locality geographically nearest to the type locality, Provo. The skulls are quite uniform and are all re- ferable to albicaudatus. The Jordan River may be one factor which causes this lack of uniformity between the animals from the two sides of the river. Davis (1939:56-57) states that rivers are not barriers to movement of pocket gophers where the river completely freezes over and has the ice covered with thick snow. Although the Jordan River does occasionally freeze over, it is never frozen for more than a few days at a time, and snow in this area does not last for long periods. The material at hand indicates that the gophers from both sides of the river are referable to the same subspecies albicaudatus. The animals from the east side of the river are in the aggregate of characters the most typical of albicaudatus of any Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 39 in the entire range. Those from the west side of the river, although definitely referable to albicaudatus do show some intergradation with Thomomys bottae robustus, the subspecies to the west. The specimens from Bauer, Tooele County, are relatively uniform in color, and are considerably lighter than topotypes of albicauda- tus. Their upper parts vary from Sepia to Saccardo's Umber as compared with near (13 ' ' ' ' n) Black of the topotypes. The sides and underparts are lighter, due primarily to much less black in the underfur. They average slightly longer in total length, but shorter in hind foot. All cranial measurements are slightly smaller than in topotypes of albicaudatus. The shape of the skull closely re- sembles that of albicaudatus, although the rostrum, nasals, upper incisors and posterior tongues of the premaxillae tend to be nar- rower. This narrowness indicates intergradation with Thomomys bottae stansburyi, the race nearest to the west. These animals are in the majority of characters referable to albicaudatus. Bauer is situated in extreme western Tooele Valley at the foot of Stockton Bar, a low pass between the Stansbury and the Oquirrh mountains. This valley lies to the west of the aforementioned Jor- dan River. Although these gophers are definitely referable to albi- caudatus they are more unlike topotypes than are the animals from Riverton. The specimens from Settlement Canyon, Oquirrh Mountains, Tooele County, show the same characteristics as those from Bauer. In a large series of animals from St. John, in Rush Valley, Tooele County, the upper parts vary from black, even darker than topo- types of albicaudatus, to Tawny Olive, and the underparts vary from black through Cinnamon Buff to Pinkish Buff. Most of the animals are Cinnamon Buff. Although variable they approach albi- caudatus in color. The total length, tail and hind foot of males are longer than in topotypes of albicaudatus; females differ in the same direction but only slightly. In both sexes the zygomatic breadth is less, but the mastoid breadth is greater than in albi- caudatus. In size and shape of the lacrimal processes, and the great thickening of the jugal at the maxillo-jugal suture they ap- proach robustus. They are much larger, however, and in the ma- jority of characters are referable to albicaudatus. What has just been said relative to the animals from St. John applies also to those from Clover Creek in the Onaqui Mountains of Tooele County. At the latter locality the tendencies towards robusttis are accentuated. This is to be expected, since this locality 40 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. is midway between St. John and the type locality of robustus. All characters considered, these animals are all referable to albicaudatus. The animals from Little Valley, Sheeprock Mountains, Tooele County, resemble albicaudatus in color. They vary on the upper parts from near (1) Sepia to Clay Color, and ventrally from nearly black to Pinkish Buff. They are markedly smaller in every meas- urement taken, except zygomatic and mastoidal breadths, and ex- tension of premaxillae posterior to nasals. This relatively greater breadth indicates intergradation with robustus to the west. These gophers are smaller in most measurements than any other popula- tion referred to albicaudatus. This is understandable because gophers from mountains usually are smaller and have weaker, smoother skulls than animals from low lands. Although approach- ing robustus in size and in some aforementioned cranial details, the aggregate of characters including color, make these animals re- ferable to albicaudatus. The animals from Fairfield, Utah County, are closer geograph- ically to the type locality of albicaudatus than any other series, but morphologically are the least like topotypes. At first glance one is struck with the differences. They are uniformly Clay Color above, with Cinnamon Buff sides and flanks and Pinkish Buff un- derpays. Their color closely approaches that of robustus to the west which has Cinnamon Buff on the upper parts. Examination of eleven measurements of males and the same number for females, shows that the animals are nearest to robustus in two measurements, to albicaudatus in 12, distinct in 7 and intermediate in one. The general appearance of the skull is intermediate between that of the two above mentioned forms. The differences from albicaudatus in size and color may be correlated with the differences in soil at Fair- field and Provo. At Fairfield the soil is light-colored clay, but at Provo it is sandy and darker. Although they are intergrades be- tween robustus and albicaudatus, the animals are referred to the latter race. Utah Lake and its outlet, the Jordan River, make a partial barrier between populations at Fairfield and at the type locality at Provo. During Pleistocene times, when Lake Bonne- ville was present it formed a complete barrier. Enough time has evidently elapsed since the disappearance of this lake to allow albicaudatus, the mainland form, to expand its range to the west. Intergradation has taken place, with the result that the animals from Fairfield, although unstable, agree with the mainland form, albicaudatus, in a majority of their characters. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 41 Pocket gophers were taken at four localities from north to south in eastern Juab County. They range in color from Ochraceous Tawny on the upper parts and Cinnamon Buff on the underparts to shades that are slightly lighter. All are much lighter than topotypes of albicaudatus. The general configuration of the skull is the same as that of albicaudatus, and this is especially true in the females. In the narrower rostrum and weaker dentition they approach con- tractus, but are distinctly lighter colored. Hall (1931:3) referred one specimen from Nephi, Juab County, to Thomomys bottae aurei- ventris. Since that time Thomomys bottae lenis which has some affinities with aureiventris has been described (see account of con- tractus). The large series now available from Nephi and nearby localities do show some intergradation with lenis, in that four char- acters are more as in lenis and contractus and seven characters are more as in albicaudatus. Although differing markedly in many re- spects from topotypes of albicaudatus they fit the aforementioned concept of this subspecies, and are being treated as a variable local population of it. Provo is the locality listed for specimens which were available to naturalists from 1875-1877. To these specimens the following names were applied: Thomomys talpoides bulbivorus Coues (1875:256; 1877:627) and' Thomomys talpoides umbrinus Coues and Yarrow (1875:112). Possibly these names were applied to the animals cur- rently known as Thomomys bottae albicaudatus which does occur at Provo. Without the opportunity to examine the actual specimens, which so far as I know are no longer in existence, I cannot exclude the possibility that the locality designation ''Provo" was used in a general sense to include pocket gophers taken a few miles to the eastward of Provo, where it is known that pocket gophers of only the species Thomomys talpoides (current terminology) occur. Specimens examined. — Total, 239, distributed as follows: Davis County: Bountiful, 4,500 ft., 1. Salt Lake County: Salt Lake City and environs, 4,300 ft., 51; 2 mi. W Murray, 4,300 ft., 6; Riverton, 4,300 ft., 11; Draper, 4,500 ft., 7; Rose Canyon, Oquirrh Mountains, 5,650 ft., 4. Tooele County: Bauer, 4,500 ft., 30; Settlement Creek, Oquirrh Mountains, 6,500 ft., 1; St. John, 4,300 ft,, 28; Clover Creek, Onaqui Mountains, 5,500 ft., 15; Vernon, 4,300 ft., 2 (U. S. A. C); Little Valley, Sheeprock Mountains, 5,500 ft., 20. Utah County: Fairfield, 4,800 ft., 24; Provo, 4,400 ft., 20 (8, B. Y. U. ; 12, M. V. Z.). Juab Caunty: Neff Farm, 4 mi. N Nephi, 5,000 ft., 2 (1, R. H.); Nephi, 5,000 ft., 1 (M. V. Z.); 2 mi. S Nephi, 4,700 ft., 14; 7 mi. SW Nephi, 6,000 ft., 2. Thomomys bottae bonnevillei new subspecies Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 3576, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Fish Springs, 4,400 ft., Juab County, Utah; June 8, 1940; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 1955. Range. — Known only from the type locality. 42 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements); claws on front feet small. Color: Entire dorsal surface Warm Buff; sides near (e) Cinnamon Buff, un- derpays near (16") Pale Pinkish Buff; inguinal region, front and hind feet and distal part of tail white; top of head, nose and cheeks grayish black; postauricular patches small and grayish black; ears small, pointed and with heavily pigmented pinnae. Skull: Angular, short and wide; nasals of me- dium length, narrow proximally but widely flared distally; interparietal small; lambdoidal suture concave towards the interparietal; zygomatic arches uni- formly widely spreading; interpterygoid space widely V-shaped; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals long; lambdoidal crest well developed. Comparisons. — From topotypes of Thomomys bottae aureiventris, bonnevillei differs as follows: Size smaller, hind foot shorter. Color: Upper parts and sides lighter; underparts pale buff rather than "gold." Skull: Shorter and relatively wider; rostrum wider and heavier; zygomatic arches relatively wider and more massive, with greatest width posteriorly instead of anteriorly; interpterygoid space widely V-shaped rather than lyre-shaped ; thickening at union of jugal and zygomatic process of maxilla less developed; anterior palatine foramina larger; nasals shorter and more markedly flared distally; zygomatic breadth relatively, and mastoidal breadth actu- ally, wider; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; upper incisors wider. From near topotypes of Thomomys bottae centralis, from 1 mile east of Garrison, Millard County, Utah, bonnevillei differs as fol- lows: Size smaller; hind foot and tail shorter. Color: Generally darker above and lighter below; top of head darker; postauricular patches smaller and lighter. Skull: Shorter and wider (zygomatic breadth expressed in percent of basilar length being, in males, 74.5 in bonnevillei and 71.5 in centralis) ; interpterygoid space more widely V-shaped; interparietal smaller, and more triangular; nasals shorter and much more dilated distally, as well as more constricted proximally; lacrimal processes smaller and less globuse at tips; tem- poral fossae larger; braincase and entire dorsal surface of skull more nearly flat; lambdoidal suture convex posteriorly as opposed to nearly straight; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally. Comparisons of bonnevillei with the type and type series of Thomomys bottae wahwahensis show them to be of approximately the same size, but to differ as follows: Color: Slightly darker above and lighter below; postauricular patches smaller and lighter. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken, except breadth of rostrum which is smaller; skull not as flat; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; nasals and rostrum longer; extension of premaxillae pos- Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 4:J terior to nasals greater; interparietal smaller and more triangular; zygomatic arches more bowed out laterally; jugals heavier; inter- pterygoid space more widely V-shaped; upper incisors less massive. The characters that distinguish bonnevillei from Thomomys bot- tae albicaudatus are: Size smaller. Color: Markedly lighter throughout. Skull: Shorter and wider; mastoid and zygomatic breadths greater; rostrum narrower but shorter; angle between ros- trum and zygomatic processes of maxillae less; interparietal smaller and more triangular; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; upper incisors shorter, narrower and more recurved. T. b. bonnevillei is indistinguishable in color from Thomomys bottae convexus, but differs from it in the following features: Size larger in nearly every measurement taken. Skull: Flattened dor- sally as opposed to convex; zygomatic arches longer and weaker; jugals more nearly perpendicular; tympanic bullae larger; upper incisors longer; alveolar length of upper molar series the same, but molars narrower; rostrum longer but nasals shorter; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater. Topotypes of bonnevillei can be distinguished from those of both Thomomys bottae tivius and stansburyi by being larger in every measurement taken, by markedly lighter color throughout, and by ridged, massive, angular skulls rather than smooth, weak, non- angular skulls. The races closest geographically to bonnevillei are Thomomys bottae robustus and T. b. sevieri. Compared with topotypes of ro- bustus, bonnevillei differs in: Size larger. Color: Lighter through- out. Skull: Larger, although not as compact; zygomatic arches mure widely spreading; jugals lighter; lacrimal processes not as prominent; zygomatic processes of maxillae not as robust; nasals more flared distally; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; alveolar length of upper molar series longer; molars larger; upper incisors longer, wider and darker in color; when placed ventral side down on a surface, the dorsal face of a skull of robustus is approximately parallel to the surface, whereas one of bonnevillei dips down in the occipital region. T. b. sevieri can be easily distinguished from bonnevillei by being smaller in every measurement taken, darker in color, and by small, weak, smooth skulls as opposed to large, robust, ridged skulls. Remarks. — Fish Springs, where bonnevillei occurs is a marshy area south of the barren, salt-desert country of western Utah. The source of water is springs at the base of the north end of the Fish 44 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Springs Mountains. Only the moist area supports pocket gophers. Specimens from Trout Creek, Juab County, twenty-five miles to the southwest are intergrades between bonnevillei and aureiventris, and are referred to the latter subspecies. The country between Fish Springs and Trout Creek in 1937 and 1940 lacked pocket gophers; it was of the playa and sand type. Probably T. b. bonnevillei was derived from T. b. aureiventris, a western mainland form of Pleis- tocene Lake Bonneville, through isolation and subsequent differen- tiation morphologically. The moist soils at Cane Springs, seven miles south of Fish Springs, had no pocket gophers when visited in 1940. Specimens examined. — Total, 11, from the type locality. Thomomys bottae centralis Hall Thomomys perpallidus centralis Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool.. 32:445, July 8, 1930. Thomomys bottae centralis Goldman, Proc. Biol. S'oc. Washington, 48:156, October 31, 1935; Hall and Johnson, Proc. Utah Acad. Sci. Arts and Letters, 15:121, 1938. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 41688, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California; 2 l /-> mi. E Baker (1*4 mi. W Nevada-Utah boundary on 39th parallel), 5,700 ft.. White Pine County, Nevada; May 30, 1929; collected by E. Raymond Hall; original number 2683. Range. — Extreme western Utah, in Millard, Beaver and Iron counties. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements); tail long; claws on front feet long. Color: Near Cinnamon Buff on upper parts, darker in middorsal region, grading to Pinkish Buff on underparts, more accentuated in pectoral and inguinal regions; nose, cheeks and postauricular patches grayish black; front and hind feet and distal half of tail white. Skull: Robust and moder- ately ridged; zygomatic breadth about the same for entire length of arches; jugals vertical posterior to middle; moderate thickening present at region of maxillo-jugal suture; interpterygoid space narrowly V-shaped; dorsal fronto- maxillary sutures convex medially; lacrimal processes globose and well de- veloped; nasals long and with distal denticulations; paroccipital processes well developed. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, centralis differs as follows: Size larger; tail longer; claws on front feet longer. Color: Lighter throughout, Cinnamon Buff as opposed to near (13 " " n) Black. Skull: Basilar length and length of nasals greater; zygomatic breadth less; zygomatic arches thicker at region of maxillo-jugal sutures; interpterygoid space more broadly V-shaped; dorsal frontomaxillary sutures convex medially as opposed to straight; paroccipital processes more de- veloped; zygomatic arches approximately the same width through- out as opposed to widest posteriorly. Dukrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 45 For comparisons with Thomomys bottae aureiventris see account of that form. T. b. centralis can be distinguished from Thomomys bottae bon- nevillei, robustus, sevieri and convexus by larger size throughout and generally darker color (see accounts of those forms). From Thomomys bottae stansburyi and tivius, centralis differs in larger size throughout and lighter color (see accounts of those forms) . Remarks. — Thomomys bottae centralis has one of the most ex- tensive ranges of any of the known races of T. bottae. The eastern limits extend into extreme western Utah. Specimens from Utah for the most part are intergrades between centralis and aureiventris, the race to the north. Some minor intergradation is also noted between centralis and sevieri and bonnevillei, the races to the east. Inter- gradation is the expected condition because the animals belonging to centralis are at the extremes of their range in this area. The greater affinities of these animals with aureiventris is to be expected because both aureiventris and centralis are forms of the western mainland of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville; while the races to the east, although closest geographically, were isolated from the gophers of the western mainland during prehistoric times by this lake. They are still isolated and enough time has elapsed so that only vestiges of morphological intergradation exist between centralis and these eastern forms. Two specimens from Cedar City, Iron County, are intergrades between Thomomys bottae wahwahensis, centralis and planirostris. Their skulls are slightly convex as in planirostris, and the rostrum is short and wide as in wahwahensis. In shape of the zygomatic arches, length of the nasals, and color, they resemble centralis to which they are here referred. Specimens examined. — Total, 49, distributed as follows: Millard County: 1 mi. SE Gandy, 5,000 ft., 15 (M. V. Z.); White Valley (Tule Spring), 60 mi. W Delta, 4, (3 in R. W. Fautin Vertebrate Collection) ; Robison Ranch, 5,300 ft., (on Hendry Creek) Simonsons Ranch, 4,596 ft., 2 (M. V. Z.); 1 mi. E Garrison, 5,000 ft., 21; 5 mi. S Garrison, 5,400 ft., 5 (M. V. Z.). Iron County: Cedar City, 2 (M. V. Z.). Thomomys bottae sevieri new subspecies Type.— Female, adult, skin and skull, No. 2530, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Swasey Spring, House Mountains, 6,500 ft., Millard County, Utah; May 16, 1938; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 1380. Range. — Known only from the type locality. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements) ; claws on front feet short and weak; ears short; tail relatively long. Color: Upper parts Pinkish Buff, grading over sides to Pale Pinkish Buff on underparts; nose, top of head, chin and cheeks grayish black; postauricular patches small and grayish black; front and hind feet and distal two-thirds of tail white. Skull: Small, weak 46 University of Kansas Publs., Mtjs. Nat. Hist. and smooth; rostrum narrow ; nasals narrow, not markedly flared distally; zygomatic arches weak, not angular, and of "graceful" contour; lacrimal pro- cesses small; characteristic dorsal depression present in region of sa^itto- coronal suture; mastoid and zygomatic breadths narrow; occiput narrow and high; braincase well inflated; paroccipital processes small and smooth; inter- pterygoid space narrowly V-shaped; tympanic bullae small, but well inflated ventrally; alveolar length of upper molar series short; molars small; upper incisors short, but narrow. Comparisons. — From topotypes of Thomomys bottae aureiven- tris, sevieri differs as follows: Size smaller. Color: Lighter throughout, no "gold" on underparts. Skull: Much smaller in every measurement taken, less massive and not angular; zygomatic arches weaker and widest posteriorly rather than anteriorly; union of jugal and zygomatic process of maxilla not greatly thickened; interpterygoid space narrowly V-shaped rather than lyre-shaped; pterygoid hamulae shorter and weaker; tympanic bullae smaller, but markedly more inflated ventrally; dentition smaller and weaker. From near topotypes of Thomomys bottae centralis, sevieri can be distinguished by the following features: Size markedly smaller. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Markedly smaller in every measurement taken, weaker and smoother; zygomatic arches weaker, less angular and more "graceful"; rostrum shorter, but narrower; lacrimal processes smaller; tympanic bullae smaller, but more inflated ventrally, being triangular in shape as opposed to ovate and with anteromedial margin decidedly pointed; pterygoid hamulae smaller and weaker; dentition smaller and weaker. T. b. sevieri can readily be distinguished from Thomomys bottae albicaudatus by the following features: Size smaller in every mea- surement taken. Color: Markedly lighter throughout. Skull: Smaller, and weaker; rostrum shorter and narrower; ascending processes of premaxillae narrower; extension of premaxillae pos- terior to nasals shorter; posterior tongues of premaxillae narrower; dentition much lighter. Comparisons of sevieri with topotypes of Thomomys bottae wah- wahensis show them to be of approximately the same size, but to differ as follows: Hind foot longer; ear shorter. Color: Slightly darker. Skull: Smaller, weaker, less ridged; zygomatic breadth less; zygomatic arches markedly less angular; mastoid breadth less; rostrum much longer and narrower, not as blunt nor flattened; tympanic bullae much larger and more inflated ventrally; braincase vaulted as opposed to flattened. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 47 From topotypes of Thomomys bottae bonnevillei, sevieri differs in: Size smaller throughout. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken, weaker, smoother and less angular; dentition smaller and weaker. Topotypes of sevieri are easily distinguished from those of Tho- mcmys bottae robustiis by smaller size, and smaller, markedly weaker skull which is less angular and ridged. Among named races of Thomomys bottae, sevieri is closest geo- graphically to convexus, but differs from it as follows: Size larger; hind foot longer. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken; na- sals shorter and not so flaring distally; rostrum weaker, narrower :md not so depressed; zygomatic arches markedly weaker and less angular; lacrimal processes smaller; supraoccipital narrower and higher; paroccipital processes weaker; tympanic bullae smaller; dentition markedly weaker. Topotypical specimens of sevieri can be readily distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae tivius by Pinkish Buff instead of Mummy Brown on upper parts. Tympanic bullae larger and mark- edly more inflated; nasals longer; zygomatic and mastoidal breadths greater; rostrum longer and more depressed; upper incisors longer and wider; molariform teeth smaller. The skulls of sevieri re- semble those of tivius more closely than those of any other sub- species. Remarks. — The House Mountains in western Millard County are surrounded by desertlike terrain that is seemingly unsuited to pocket gophers. In these mountains, gophers were sought in vain at sev- eral localities, including Antelope Springs which superficially ap- peared suitable for the animals. Pocket gophers were found only at the type locality, Swasey Spring, which is well above the high- est level of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. T. b. sevieri, like T . b. minimus on Stansbury Island, Great Salt Lake, appears to re- main only on land that was an island when Lake Bonneville was at its highest level. Specimens examined. — Total, 10, from the type locality. Thomomys bottae convexus Durrant Thomomys bottae convexus Durrant, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 52:159, October 11, 1939. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 2482, Museum of Zoology, University of Utah; E side Clear Lake, 4,600 ft, Millard County, Utah; May 20, 1938; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 1401. 48 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Range. — Westcentral Utah in Delta Valley. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts and sides Pinkish Buff, purest on sides; underparts Pale Pinkish Cinnamon; in- guinal and pectoral regions Pale Pinkish Buff; nearly all specimens have white on perineal region; nose grayish black; front feet, hind feet and distal third to half of tail white; postauricular patches black. Skull: Braincase moderately convex on dorsal surface; rostrum strongly depressed, giving the entire dorsal surface of the skull a "rocker-shape"; zygomatic arches heavy, short and widely spreading, widest posteriorly; upper incisors recurved, short and wide; molariform teeth large; alveolar length of upper molar series long; palatal pits deep; tympanic bullae moderately inflated ventrally; mastoidal breadth actually as well as relatively wide. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae wahwahensis, conv exits is of approximately the same color, but differs as follows: Size smaller; tail, hind foot, and ear shorter. Skull: Rostrum longer, narrower and more depressed; skull convex rather than flat; nasals longer, and convex rather than flat; tym- panic bullae larger; zygomatic arches shorter and more massive; molariform teeth larger. From topotypes of Thomomys bottae centralis, convexus differs in: Size smaller; tail and hind foot shorter. Color: Uniformly lighter, more white in perineal region. Skull: Smaller, more con- vex; rostrum shorter, wider and more depressed; zygomatic arches shorter and heavier; mastoidal breadth actually, as well as rela- tively wider; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; upper in- cisors shorter and wider. Comparatively, topotypes of convexus can be distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae aureiventris by: Size smaller; tail and hind foot shorter. Color: Darker on upper parts; no "gold" on underparts. Skull: Smaller and more nearly flat; rostrum shorter and more depressed; zygomatic arches shorter, heavier and widest posteriorly rather than anteriorly; interpterygoid space V-shaped as opposed to lyre-shaped; upper incisors shorter, narrower and more recurved. Topotypical specimens of convexus differ from those of Thom- omys bottae nesophilus as follows: Size smaller; tail and hind foot shorter. Color: Uniformly lighter throughout, Cinnamon Buff as opposed to Pinkish Buff. Skull: Smaller; rostrum heavier, shorter and more depressed; zygomatic arches shorter, heavier and not so widely spreading; no widening of supraoccipital as in nesophilus', upper incisors shorter and more recurved. When compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicauda- tus, convexus shows the following differences: Size smaller; tail and Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 49 hind foot shorter. Color: Markedly lighter throughout, Skull: Smaller, more convex and compact; rostrum shorter, heavier, more depressed and compact; zygomatic arches shorter and more robust; upper incisors shorter and more recurved. Thomomys bottae tivius is the race closest geographically to con- vexus. From it, convexus can be readily distinguished by: Size larger; tail shorter; hind foot longer. Color: Markedly lighter throughout. Skull: Much heavier and more compact, weights of skulls of males and females of the two subspecies being 2.4 grs., 1.6; 1.6, 1.2, respectively; rostrum heavier, wider and more depressed; zygomatic arches shorter, and more massive ; upper incisors shorter, wider and more recurved; molariform teeth larger. For comparisons with Thomomys bottae lenis, contractus, sevieri, bonnevillei, and robustus see accounts of those forms. Remarks. — T. b. convexus is limited to the area around Clear Lake in Millard County. This lake is surrounded by areas of loose, shifting sand and flat areas of barren alkali. The lake is fed by springs which flow from lava outcroppings on its eastern side. As far as discernible, the only area populated by pocket gophers (1938) was that adjacent to the lake where vegetation had trapped the sand. The factor which limits the extension of range of this sub- species probably is plant food. Also, the soil is mechanically poor for burrowing, since it caves in easily and burrows were found only in the sand where salt grass (Distichlis stricta) had trapped and stabilized it. Burrows were found from the edge of the water back as far as this grass persisted. Specimens examined. — Total, 17, from the type locality. Thomomys bottae tivius Durrant Thomomys bottae tivius Durrant, Bull. Univ. Utah, 28 (No. 4) :5, August 18, 1937. Type.— Female, adult, skin and skull, No. 1827, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Oak Creek Canyon, 6 mi. E Oak City, 6,000 ft., Millard County, Utah; September 14, 1936; collected by S. D. Durrant; original num- ber 1100. Range. — Limited to the Canon Mountains, Millard County. Diagnosis. — Size small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Mummy Brown, grading through Cinnamon on the sides to Pale Cinnamon on the underparts; cheeks Cinnamon; postauricular patches black; distal third to half of tail white. Skull: Small, weak; zygomatic arches weak, not widely spreading, widest posteriorly; tympanic bullae large; interpterygoid space V-shaped; nasals short, usually simple distally, but with some denticulations 4—2786 50 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. in some specimens; palatal pits deep; palate narrow; paroccipital processes small; incisors, both upper and lower, narrow; molariform teeth small. Comparisons. — Topotypes of tivius differ from those of Thomo- mys bottae albicaudatus as follows: Size markedly smaller in every measurement taken. Color: Lighter, Mummy Brown as opposed to near (13 " " n) Black. Skull: Smaller, slenderer and weaker; zygomatic arches weak and not widely spreading as opposed to massive and wide spreading; nasals and rostrum narrower and shorter; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals shorter; tym- panic bullae smaller; molariform teeth smaller. For comparisons with Thomomys bottae stansburyi and T. b. contractus see accounts of those forms. The four subspecies tivius, albicaudatus, stansburyi, and contrac- tus are the darkest in color of all the Thomomys bottae occurring within the state. Remarks. — This small, dark subspecies is limited to the Canon Mountains in eastern Millard County. Apparently it is a mountain derivative of Thomomys bottae contractus which occurs in the val- leys to the east and west of these mountains. Intergradation is noted with animals from the valleys on either side. For further comments on distributional problems of this type see remarks under Thomomys bottae stansburyi. Specimens examined. — Total, 12, from the type locality. Thomomys bottae contractus new subspecies Thomomys perpallidus albicaudatus Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 37:3, April 10, 1931. Thomomys bottae albicaudatus Dun-ant. Bull. Univ. Utah, 28 (No. 4) A, August 18, 1937. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 1851, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah; Scipio, 5,315 ft,, Millard County, Utah; September 17, 1936; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 1125. Range. — -Extreme eastern Millard and Beaver counties, Utah. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Cinna- mon Buff, mixed with black giving a color of Dresden Brown; sides between Cinnamon Buff and Pinkish Buff; underparts Pinkish Buff, purest on inguinal and pectoral regions; postauricular patches medium in size and black; ears covered with black hairs; nose, chin, cheeks and top of head dusky; front feet, hind feet and distal third to half of tail white; proximal part of tail covered all around with buff-colored hairs. Skull: Long, slender, moderately ridged and convex transversally at proximal ends of nasals; nasals long; ros- trum long and narrow; posterior ends of nasals truncate or shallowly emar- ginate; ascending processes of premaxillae slender; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals long; zygomatic arches neither robust nor widely spread- . Ditrrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 5] ing; interparietal subquadrangular ; supraoccipital extending horizontally well behind lambdoidal suture instead of dropping off abruptly to the foramen magnum ; interpterygoid space moderately V-shaped in some specimens, but somewhat lyre-shaped in others; tympanic bullae large and truncate anteri- orly; upper incisors long and narrow; molariform teeth small and light. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, contractus differs as follows: Tail longer. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Slenderer, less ridged and angular; rostrum narrower; zygomatic and mastoidal breadths less; ascend- ing processes of premaxillae narrower; posterior tongues of pre- maxillae narrower; posterior ends of nasals less truncate; zygo- matic arches weaker, less angular, and less widely spreading pos- teriorly; interparietal larger; paroccipital processes weaker; inter- pterygoid space not as widely V-shaped; upper incisors longer and narrower; molariform teeth smaller. Topotypes of contractus can be distinguished from those of Tho- momys bottae convexus by the following: Size larger, tail longer; hind foot larger. Color: Darker throughout. Skull: Longer, nar- rower, and not as massive; top of skull moderately, as opposed to strongly, convex; nasals arched rather than straight; zygomatic arches neither as widely spreading, angular nor massive ; space en- closed within zygomatic arches longer; interparietal larger; inter- pterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped ; upper incisors longer and narrower; molariform teeth much lighter. Comparisons of topotypes of contractus with near topotypes of Thomomys bottae centralis show them to be approximately the same size, but to differ as follows: Color: Darker throughout, Skull: Shorter and slenderer; rostrum narrower; region between posterior tongues of premaxillae narrower and more convex trans- versally; nasals more truncate; zygomatic breadth less, but arches relatively more widely spreading posteriorly; interparietal larger; interpterygoid space generally narrower; upper incisors longer and narrower; molariform teeth smaller. Topotypes of contractus differ from those of Thomomys bottae aureiventris as follows: Size smaller; tail longer; hind foot shorter. Color: Darker throughout. Skull: Shorter but slenderer; rostrum narrower; nasals shorter but slenderer, and more truncate pos- teriorly; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals longer; zygo- matic arches weaker and less angular; zygomatic processes of max- illae weaker and with no marked thickenings at union of maxilla and jugals; interparietal larger; interpterygoid space more gener- 52 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. ally V-shaped; upper incisors longer and narrower; molariform teeth smaller. Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae planirostris, contractus differs in: Size smaller throughout. Color: Darker, more black and less Cinnamon in pelage. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken; rostrum narrower; nasals arched instead of flat; zygomatic arches neither angular, massive nor widely spread- ing; upper incisors narrower; molariform teeth markedly smaller and weaker. Topotypes of contractus differ from those of Thomomys bottae levidensis in larger size, darker color and longer, slenderer skulls. Among named races of T. bottae, contractus is closest morpho- logically to tivius. It differs from it as follows : Size larger through- out. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: The same general shape and proportions, but larger in every measurement taken; rostrum longer and narrower; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals longer; posterior tongues of premaxillae narrower. Remarks. — Fifteen animals from Oak City are intergrades be- tween contractus and tivius. Intergradation with lenis is also shown in some specimens by the widely spreading zygomatic arches. In the majority of characters including the diagnostic long, slender, narrow rostrum they are more like contractus to which they are here referred. Nine animals from Beaver were considered by Hall (1931:3) and Durrant (1937:4) to be intergrades between Thomomys bottae albicaudatus and Thomomys bottae centralis. Restudy of these specimens in the light of additional material now shows them to be intergrades between T. b. centralis, T. b. planirostris and T. b. con- tractus. The majority of these animals are intermediate in color between centralis and contractus, but a few have the reddish cast of planirostris. The shape of the nasals is characteristic of planiros- tris, while the zygomatic arches are as in centralis. In the re- mainder of the diagnostic characters they are like contractus to which they are here referred. Strong affinities exist between albicaudatus, tivius and contractus. All three of these races probably stemmed from a dark form which formerly inhabited the eastern mainland of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. At present, tivius is isolated on the Canon Mountains in eastern Millard County, while the range of albicaudatus and con- tractus have been separated by that of lenis. T. b. lenis has the majority of its affinities with aureiventris which is an inhabitant of Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 53 the western mainland of this ancient lake. An understanding of the history of the Sevier River Valley will probably clarify this distribution of pocket gophers. Specimens examined. — Total, 39, distributed as follows: Millard County: Oak City, 6,000 ft., 15; Scipio, 5,315 ft., 15. Beaver County: Beaver, 6,000 ft., 9 (M. V. Z.). Thomomys bottae lenis Goldman Thomomys townsendii lenis Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 55:75, June 25, 1942. Thomomys perpallidus aureus Moore, Journ. Mamm., 10:259; No- vember 11, 1931. Type.—MsAe, adult, skin and skull, No. 264805, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection); Richfield, 5,308 ft., Sevier County, Utah; March 11, 1928; collected by A. W. Moore; X-catalogue number 28835 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — Sevier River Valley from Piute County north to southwestern Juab and northeastern Millard counties, Utah. Diagnosis. — Size large (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Cinnamon Buff mixed with black in middorsal region; sides, flanks, forearms, thighs and underparts Pinkish Buff; inguinal region, front feet, hind feet, underpart of tail and end of tail white; postauricular patches small and dusky; chin, cheeks, nose and top of head dusky. Skull : Largest of Utah gophers, massive and angular; nasals long and denticulate distally; rostrum long and relatively narrow; zygomatic arches widely spreading and heavy throughout; jugals nearly vertical; zygomatic processes of maxillae heavy and flaring out abruptly from base of rostrum; union of zygomatic process of maxilla and jugal greatly thickened; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals long; posterior tongues of premaxillae relatively narrow; lacrimal processes small; pterygoid hamulae long; interpterygoid space moderately V-shaped, tending to be somewhat lyre-shaped in some specimens; tympanic bullae somewhat flattened, only moderately inflated ventrally; upper incisors long and narrow; molariform teeth actually large, but relatively small. Comparisons. — Topotypes of lenis can be distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae tivius, convexus, contractus, albicau- datus, levidensis, centralis and aureiventris by the following mark- edly greater average measurements of males: Total length, 250 mm.; length of nasals, 15.5; zygomatic breadth, 28.3; mastoid breadth, 22.5; and length of rostrum, 18.3. Other distinguishing characters are: Zygomatic arches more widely spreading; length of zygomatic processes of maxillae greater; and relatively longer, narrower rostrum. Remarks. — Twenty-one animals obtained from Lynndyl, Millard County, are all intergrades between lenis and aureiventris. They are like aureiventris in the shape of the zygomatic arches, and in the bowing of the parietal crests. Slight intergradation with centralis is indicated by color and the shape of the nasals. The transverse 54 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. arching of the posterior part of the rostrum is indicative of some relationship with contractus. In six other characters studied they most closely approach lenis to which they are here referred. Large size is the distinctive feature of Thomomys bottae lenis. The skulls are the largest of any species or subspecies of Thomomys found in Utah. In total length, however, these animals are no longer than the extremes found in other named races. When Gold- man (1942:75) described this race as new, he referred it to the species Thomomys townsendii, but remarked that the animal from Richfield was different enough from any other form then named to merit probably full specific status. I know of no character other than size to separate Thomomys townsendii from Thomomys bottae, and since intergradation has been shown to exist between these al- leged townsendii from Richfield and animals from extreme western Utah known to belong to the species bottae, lenis is here arranged as a subspecies of Thomomys bottae which name has priority over Geomys townsendii. The range here ascribed to this race is the Sevier River Valley from Piute County as far downstream as the town of Lynndyl which is near the eastern mainland of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. The Sevier River continues farther out into Delta Valley ultimately to empty into Sevier Lake, which at present is adjacent to the area that formerly constituted the western mainland of the aforemen- tioned ancient lake. This watercourse may have provided a mi- gration route in ancient times, during the fluctuations of Lake Bon- neville, whereby the animals formerly of the western mainland were able to come far eastward. The animals from Lynndyl which are intergrades between lenis, an eastern mainland form, and cen- tralis and aureiventris which are western mainland forms of Lake Bonneville lend support to this hpyothesis. Specimens examined. — Total, 26, distributed as follows: Millard County: Lynndyl, 4,796 ft., 21. Juab County: U. B. (= Yuba) Darn, 5,000 ft., 1. Sevier County: Salina, 4,575 ft., 1; Richfield, 5,308 ft., 3 (U. S. N. M.). Thomomys bottae levidensis Goldman Thomomys bottae levidensis Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 55:76, June 25, 1942. Thomomys perpallidits aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:75, No- vember 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):100, June, 1927. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 191962, U. S. National Museum (Merriam Collection); Manti, 5,500 ft., Sanpete County, Utah; December 6, 1888; collected by Vernon Bailey; original number 427 (after Goldman, type not seen). Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 55 Range. — San Pitch River Valley, Sanpete County, Utah. Diagnosis. — Size small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts and sides Cinnamon Buff, finely mixed with black along median line of back; under- parts Pinkish Buff; nose, cheeks and chin grayish black; postauricular patches fairly large and grayish black; front and hind feet white (examples from type series badly stained) ; tail light buff but apparently white distally (the color of these specimens has apparently changed with age). Skull: Small, fairly robust; basilar length short; zygomatic arches weak, but widely spreading; tympanic bullae small; nasals short and simple distally; ventral margin of jugals convex dorsally; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals relatively a? well as actually long; posterior tongues of premaxillae relatively wide. Comparisons. — Topotypes of levidensis differ from those of Tho- momys bottae absonus as follows: Size smaller. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Shorter, weaker and less ridged and angular, but relatively wider. Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, lev- idensis differs as follows: Size smaller in every measurement taken. Color: Markedly lighter throughout. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken; width relatively greater; skull smooth, weak and nonangular as opposed to ridged, robust and angular. For comparisons with Thomomys bottae lenis and contractus see accounts of those forms. Remarks. — The range here ascribed to levidensis is the San Pitch River Valley, which gradually merges southward into the Sevier River Valley. The latter valley in this area is inhabited by pocket gophers that belong to another subspecies, lenis. Nephi Valley to the west of San Pitch River Valley is inhabited by animals belong- ing to the subspecies albicaudatus. No known specimens show in- tergradation between lenis and levidensis, but intergradation be- tween lenis and albicaudatus is noted in the Nephi Valley animals (see account of albicaudatus). Superficially levidensis resembles absonus in size and color, but the skulls closely resemble those of albicaudatus, except for size in which they are smaller in all mea- surements. T. b. albicaudatus is the most variable subspecies of T. bottae occurring in Utah, and additional material from the Se- vier River Valley between San Pitch River Valley and Nephi Val- ley may show levidensis to be only a local variant of the highly variable subspecies, albicaudatus. Specimens examined. — Total, 6, from the type locality. 56 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Thomomys bottae osgoodi Goldman Thomomys perpallidus osgoodi Goldman, Joum. Washington Acad. Sci.. 21:424, October 19, 1931. Thomomys bottae osgoodi Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:156; October 31, 1935. Thomomys perpallidus aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:75, No- vember 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April., 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):100, June, 1927. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 158530, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection); Hanksville, Wayne County, Utah; October 20, 1908; collected by W. H. Osgood; original number 3701 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — Eastern Utah in the valleys of the drainage of the San Rafael, Dirty Devil and Price rivers. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts near (e) Pale Ochraceous Buff, definitely yellow in appearance; sides Pale Ochra- ceous Buff; entire underparts white, with a wash of Light Buff in the pectoral and inguinal regions; top of head, nose, cheeks, and chin dusky; postauricular patches grayish black; front feet, hind feet and distal part of tail white. Skull: Fairly robust but narrow; zygomatic arches concave medially in mid- jugal region; skull moderately convex dorsally, due to swelling in region of base of rostrum; lambdoidal suture situated well ahead of posterior margin of skull, with supraoccipital forming a side shelf at posterior part of skull ; interpterygoid space narrowly V-shaped; tympanic bullae well inflated ven- trally; basioccipital short; nasals rounded posteriorly; molariform teeth large. Comparisons. — Topotypes of osgoodi differ from those of Thomo- mys bottae absonus as follows: Size generally smaller. Color: Lighter throughout, more yellowish in appearance as opposed to buffy. Skull: Smaller in all measurements, except length of nasals, mastoid breadth, and alveolar length of upper molar series which are larger; rostrum shorter but relatively wider; zygomatic arches more robust and concave medially; palate wider; supraoccipital more bulging posteriorly; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; molariform teeth larger. For comparisons with Thomomys bottae aureus and T. b. dis- similis see accounts of those forms. Remarks. — The animals here referred to osgoodi are remarkably uniform in color, but vary widely in cranial details. Specimens from Carbon County are not typical and when more material be- comes available it may prove that these animals from the northern part of the range of osgoodi will merit separation and naming. The specimens from Emery County are not typical but resemble osgoodi more than do the animals from Carbon County. The range here ascribed to osgoodi is in that part of the eastern Utah desert that is bounded on the east by the Green and Colorado Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 57 rivers, on the west by the high mountains of central Utah, on the north by the Book Cliffs and on the south by the Dirty Devil River. This area is an uninviting wasteland in which there are relatively few roads and little water. In addition, it is greatly cut up by washes and gullies which contain water only during a few weeks of the year. The continuation of this area of wasteland southward beyond the Dirty Devil River is inhabited by pocket gophers be- longing to the subspecies absonus. If specimens were available they would undoubtedly show intergradation to exist between osgoodi and absonus. Specimens examined. — Total, 14, distributed as follows: Carbon County: y 2 rni. N Spring Glen, 6,150 ft., 2; Spring Glen, 6,200 ft., 2; 2 mi. E Spring Glen, 6,200 ft., 1. Emery County: Price River, 2 mi. SE Woodside, 4,600 ft., 2 (C. M.); Green River, 4,080 ft., 5 (M. V. Z.). Wayne County: Hanksville, 2 (U. S. N. M.). Thomomys bottae howelli Goldman Thomomys bottae howelli Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. S'ci., 26:116, March 15, 1936. Type. — Female, adult, skin and skull, No. 25684, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; Grand Junction, 4,600 ft., Mesa County, Colo- rado; November 7, 1895; collected by A. H. Howell; original number 493 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — In the valleys of eastern Utah, east of the Green River and north of the Colorado River. Diagnosis and Comparisons. — Inasmuch as there is but one specimen, the holotype known, and as it was impossible to study it, the following diagnoses and comparisons are from Goldman, (1936:116). "General characters. — A rather large, pallid subspecies with a broad, flat- tened cranium. Similar to the palest specimens of Thomomys bottae aureus of the San Juan River Valley, southeastern Utah, in color, but under parts more thinly overlaid with buffy white, and cranial characters, especially the broad, flat braincase, distinctive. Approaching Thomomys bottae osgoodi of the Fremont River Valley, Utah, in color, but much larger and skull widely different. ''Color. — Type (winter pelage) : Upper parts in general between tilleul buff and pale olive buff (Ridgway 1912), somewhat darkened on head by a mixture of cinnamon buff and brown; a few inconspicuous dusky-tipped hairs along median line of back; muzzle dusky; ears and postauricular spots deep, contrasting black; underparts thinly overlaid with buffy white, the hairs be- coming pure white to roots on inguinal region; thighs pure white to roots all around; feet white; tail buffy whitish, slightly paler below than above. "Skull. — Similar in general to that of T. b. aureus, but braincase conspicu- ously broader and flatter; zygomata more widely spreading; nasals shorter; premaxillae more attenuate posteriorly; interparietal larger; audital bullae more rounded and fully inflated anteriorly; incisors short, as in aureus, but less strongly recurved. Compared with that of T. b. osgoodi the skull is much larger, with flatter braincase, shorter nasals, and posteriorly narrower pre- maxillae." 58 University of Kansas Publs., Mtjs. Nat. Hist. Remarks. — Six specimens, in the Carnegie Museum from 10 miles north of Moab, Grand County, Utah, were available for this study. They are not typical of howelli as it is diagnosed by Goldman (loc. tit.). They appear to be intergrades between howelli and osgoodi in cranial characters, but more closely resemble howelli, particularly in the flat, widened, low braincase. In color, some specimens seem to intergrade toward aureus. The range ascribed to this form in Utah appears to be one of the most natural ones within the state since it is bounded by the Green and Colorado rivers which have formed deep rocky gorges in this region. Specimens examined. — Total, 6, as follows: Grand County: 10 mi. N Moab, 6 (C. M.). Thomomys bottae wahwahensis Durrant Thomomys bottae. wahvxihensis Durrant, Bull. Univ. Utah, 28 (No. 4):4, August 18, 1937. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 1750, Museum of Zoology, Uni- versity of Utah, Wah Wah Springs, 30 mi. W Milford, 6,500 ft., Beaver County, Utah; July 22, 1936; collected by S. D. Durrant; original number 989. Range. — Westcentral Utah, in Wah Wah Mountains, and Pine Valley to the west of these mountains. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Pink- ish Buff; underparts Pale Pinkish Buff with considerable admixture of gray; inguinal and pectoral regions Pale Pinkish Buff; nose and cheeks grayish black; postauricular patches small and black; front feet, hind feet and distal one-third to one-half of tail white. Skull: Flat dorsoventrally ; rostrum short and wide; premaxillae broad and heavy; nasals short and straight, with no arching as viewed laterally; tympanic bullae small; space enclosed within zygomatic arches short antero-posteriorly; alveolar length of upper molar series short; molariform teeth small. Comparisons. — From topotypes of Thomomys bottae centralis, wahwahensis differs as follows: Size smaller in every measure- ment taken. Color: Lighter, Pinkish Buff as opposed to Cinnamon Buff. Skull: Rostrum wider, shorter and more nearly flat; nasals straight as opposed to moderately convex; tympanic bullae smaller and less inflated ventrally; zygomatic arches more widely spread- ing and angular; molariform teeth smaller; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less. From topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, wahwahensis differs as follows: Hind foot shorter. Color: Lighter throughout, Pinkish Buff as opposed to (13 " " n) Black. Skull: Smaller and more nearly flat; rostrum shorter, wider and more nearly flat; nasals straight as opposed to convex; zygomatic breadth less but mastoid breadth greater; tympanic bullae smaller, and less inflated Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 59 ventrally; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; molari- form teeth smaller. From topotypes of Thomomys bottae aureiventris, wahwahensis differs in the following features: Size smaller; hind foot shorter. Color: Lighter throughout, no "gold" on underparts. Skull: Smaller in nearly every measurement taken; rostrum shorter and relatively wider; zygomatic arches more angular and relatively more widely spreading; nasals shorter and more nearly flat; thick- ening at union of jugal and zygomatic process of maxilla less; inter- pterygoid space V-shaped as opposed to lyre-shaped; tympanic bullae much smaller, and less inflated ventrally; molariform teeth much smaller. Topotypes of wahwahensis can be easily distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae tivius by their markedly larger size in every measurement taken, lighter color, and larger, more robust and more nearly flat skull. For comparisons of wahwahensis with Thomomys bottae sevieri, robustus, bonnevillei and convexus see comparisons under those forms. Among the named races of Thomomys bottae, wahwahensis defi- nitely has its affinities with planirostris from Zion National Park. Both possess flat skulls with wide, short rostra. It differs from the latter in: Size smaller in every measurement taken. Color: Lighter throughout. Skulls: Nasals and rostrum shorter and more nearly flat; tympanic bullae markedly smaller; alveolar length of upper molar series shorter; molariform teeth markedly smaller and weaker. Remarks. — Wah Wah Springs, the type locality of wahwahensis, are on the summit of a low pass in the Wah Wah Mountains in the desert of west central Utah. The surrounding valleys, for many miles, as far as my investigations show, are not inhabited by pocket gophers, except the Desert Range Experiment Station of the United States Forest Service in Pine Valley to the west of these mountains. There, pocket gophers were obtained which are intergrades between centralis and wahwahensis. In five out of seven characters investi- gated these gophers resemble wahwahensis, to which they are here referred. Study of the topography reveals the probable means by which the animals reached this valley. The long axis of the Wah Wah Mountains is north and south, but a westward arm forms the northern boundary of Pine Valley. Around springs in this west- ward projecting arm workings of pocket gophers were found. With 60 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. the development of water at the Desert Range Experiment Station, and subsequent improvement of forage, these animals probably came down into the valley from the springs to the north. The terrain between the Desert Range Experiment Station in Pine Valley and Snake Creek (where centralis occurs) to the west is not inhabited by pocket gophers at present. This area, however, forms part of the southwest mainland of Pleistocene Lake Bonne- ville, which mainland in times past was probably suitable for pocket gophers. Since the close of the Pleistocene, aridity has ren- dered most of it unfit for pocket gophers, and they remain only in isolated areas where suitable environments still persist. Specimens examined. — Total, 18, distributed as follows: Millard County: Desert Range Experiment Station, United States Forest Service, Sec. 9, T. 25 S, R. 17 W, Salt Lake Base Meridian, 6. Beaver County: Wah Wah Springs, Wah Wah Mountains, 30 mi. W Milford, 6,500 ft., 12 (2, M. V. Z.). Thomomys bottae dissimilis Goldman Thomomys perpallidus dissimilis Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 21:425, October 19, 1931. Thomomys bottae dissimilis Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:156, October 31, 1935. Thomomys perpallidus aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna 39:75, Novem- ber 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12): 100, June, 1927. Type.— Female, adult, skin and skull, No. 158526, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; E slope Mount Ellen, Henry Mountains, 8,000 ft., Garfield County, Utah; October 15, 1908; collected by W. H. Osgood; original number 3677 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — Known only from the type locality. Diagnosis.— Size small (see measurements) . Color : Upper parts Light Buff, grading over sides to nearly white on underparts; underparts lightly washed with Pale Buff, more marked in inguinal and pectoral regions; postauricular patches grayish black; nose, chin, cheeks and top of head dusky; front feet, hind feet and distal half of tail white. Skull: Small and weak; zygomatic arches long, but lying close to skull, giving it a slender appearance; supra- occipital markedly projecting posteriorly from lambdoidal suture; rostrum relatively long and narrow; nasals long; tympanic bullae well inflated ven- trally, with a median ventral ridge; pterygoid hamulae weak; interpterygoid space narrowly V-shaped; upper incisors short and light in color; molariform teeth relatively large. Comparisons.— Comparison of one topotype of dissimilis with topotypes of Thomomys bottae aureus shows it to differ as follows: Size smaller throughout. Color: Lighter dorsally and on sides, pale buff as contrasted with rich ochraceous; underparts more buffy. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken; zygomatic arches markedly less widely spreading; braincase narrower and more Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 61 vaulted; tympanic bullae with a median ventral ridge as opposed to smooth; pterygoid hamulae slenderer; interpterygoid space nar- rowly V-shaped as opposed to U-shaped; upper incisors smaller and lighter in color. Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae absonus, dis- similis differs in the following features : Size smaller in every meas- urement taken. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken, except alveolar length of upper molar series which is greater; skull narrower and weaker; zygomatic arches weaker and less widely spreading; tympanic bullae more ridged on ventral surface and shorter (more rounded) in antero-posterior measurement; upper incisors shorter and narrower; molariform teeth larger. Thomomys bottae dissimilis resembles T. b. osgoodi more than any other subspecies but differs in : Size smaller throughout. Color : Slightly darker dorsally. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken, and slenderer; rostrum relatively longer; zygomatic arches weaker, and less widely spreading, more converging anteriorly; tympanic bullae less rounded, more ridged medioventrally ; upper incisors shorter but narrower; molariform teeth smaller. Remarks. — The Henry Mountains, in eastern Garfield County, are in the Colorado River drainage. The surrounding country is desertlike and cut by gullies and washes with sheer escarpments and precipitous draws. The type locality of dissimilis is possibly in an isolated area. Only three specimens were available to Gold- man when he named dissimilis. He commented on the close re- semblance to osgoodi which inhabits the country to the north. I have examined only one of the three specimens available to Gold- man. Although I can see the characters that he mentioned, I am not fully convinced that dissimilis is separable from osgoodi. Two specimens from Escalante, Garfield County, are referred to absonus, but they show intergradation with dissimilis. Specimens examined. — One (U. S. N. M.) from E slope Mount Ellen, Henry Mountains, 8,000 ft., Garfield County. Thomomys bottae aureus Allen Thomomys aureus Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 5:49, April 28, 1893. Thomomys bottae aureus Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:156, October 31, 1935; Benson, Univ. California Publ. Zobl, 40:450, December 31, 1935. Thomomys fidvus aureus Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 21:417, October 19, 1931; Joum. Washington Acad. Sci., 23:464, October 15, 1933. 62 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Thomomys perpallidus aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauua, 39:74, No- vember 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12) :100, June, 1927. Type.— No. _|||.. American Museum of Natural History; Bluff City, San Juan County, Utah; May 12, 1892; collected by Charles P. Rowley (after Allen, type not seen). Range. — All of San Juan County (except extreme southwestern part) and Grand County east of the Colorado River. Diagnosis. — Size large (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Cinnamon Buff, lighter on sides; underparts generally white, or if colored at all with only a faint wash of Light Buff; nose and chin blackish gray; top of head blackish due to admixture of black hairs; postauricular patches small and dusky; front feet and hind feet white. Skull: Long, narrow but massive; zygomatic arches not widely spreading, but heavy; jugals thick, union of jugals and zygomatic processes of maxillae thickened; rostrum long but wide; top of rostrum convex in lateral view; ascending processes of premaxillae wide and heavy; nasals thin proximally; braincase long and narrow; tympanic bullae well inflated ventrally; alveolar length of upper molar series long; molars large; pterygoid hamulae heavy; interpterygoid space U-shaped; palate arched; upper incisors long and wide. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae osgoodi, aureus differs as follows: Size larger in every measure- ment taken, except tail which is shorter. Color: Darker throughout except on ventral surface which is lighter. Skull: Larger, longer and wider; nasals longer; rostrum wider and longer; zygomatic arches more nearly straight and heavier; ascending processes of premaxillae wider; basioccipital longer; interpterygoid space U- shaped as opposed to V-shaped; tympanic bullae larger; upper in- cisors longer, wider; molars larger. Topotypical specimens of aureus can be distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae dissimilis by: Size larger throughout. Color: A trifle darker on dorsal surface. Skull: Larger in every meas- urement taken; zygomatic arches heavier and more nearly straight; tympanic bullae larger and more inflated ventrally; interpterygoid space U-shaped as opposed to V-shaped; alveolar length of upper molar series longer; molars larger; upper incisors longer and wider. Topotypes of aureus differ from those of Thomomys bottae ab- sonus as follows: Size larger in every measurement taken. Color: Darker dorsally, Light Ochraceous as opposed to Cinnamon Buff; due to admixture of gray, absonus has more of a grayish cast. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken, longer, narrower and more compact; zygomatic arches heavier; ascending processes of premaxillae wider; jugals heavier; tympanic bullae larger; inter- Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 63 pterygoid space U-shaped rather than V-shaped; upper incisors longer and wider; molars larger. From topotypes of Thomomys bottae planirostris, aureus can be distinguished as follows: Size larger; tail shorter. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken except zygomatic breadth, extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals, and length of upper molariform series which are less; rostrum longer, wider and more convex; nasals slightly arched rather than straight; depression absent rather than present in posterior region of nasals ; zygomatic arches not so widely spreading, but equally heavy. For comparisons with Thomomys bottae alexandrae, see accounts under that form. Remarks. — Topotypes of aureus are among the largest pocket gophers in the state. They are exceeded in total length only by T. b. lenis and are approached by T. b. aureiventris and T. b. pla?iiros- tris. On the average they have the longest hind foot, body and ear. The length of the skull is second only to that of lenis as also is the length and breadth of the rostrum relative to the basilar length. From the time of the original description of aureus in 1893 until 1930, all light colored gophers from Utah were referred to that form. Barnes (1927:100) gives the range of aureus as extending completely across southern Utah and on the west and east sides as far north as central Utah. Since 1930, forms named by E. R. Hall, W. H. Burt, E. A. Goldman and the writer have restricted the range of aureus in Utah to that part of the state east of the Colorado River. Specimens examined. — Total, 22, as follows: San Juan Count)/: Bluff, 3,300 ft., 22 (15, M. V. Z.). Thomomys bottae birdseyei Goldman Thmaomys bottae birdseyei Goldman. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 50:134, September 10, 1937. Thomomys perpallidus aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:75, No- vember 15. 1915; Barnes. Bull. Univ. Utah. 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):100, June, 1927. Type.— Male, adult skin and skull, No. 1G1G54, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; Pine Valley Mountains, 5 mi. E Pine Valley, 8,300 ft., Washington County, Utah; April 10. 1909; collected by Clarence Birdseye; original number 861 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — High mountains and plateaus of southwestern Utah. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts between Cinnamon and Sayal Brown, finely mixed with black in median dorsal region, grading over sides and flanks to Cinnamon on underparts; front feet, hind feet, and distal part of tail white; postauricular patches, chin, cheeks and top 64 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. of head grayish black. Skull: Depressed along median line of frontals and posterior ends of nasals; region of nasofrontal suture concave ventrally; zygomatic arches heavy and widely spreading, widest posteriorly; posterior ends of nasals straight, tending to be somewhat rounded in some specimens; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals moderate; tympanic bullae mod- erately inflated ventrally; basioccipital wide; interpterygoid space widely V-shaped. Comparisons. — Topotypes of birdseyei differ from near topotypes of Thomomys bottae virgineus, from Beaverdam Wash as follows: Size larger; tail and hind foot longer. Color: Darker throughout, between Cinnamon and Sayal Brown as opposed to Cinnamon Buff. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken except extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals, and length and width of rostrum which are less; skull more depressed in nasofrontal region; zygo- matic arches more widely spreading; zygomatic processes of squa- mosals shorter; pterygoid hamulae longer; tympanic bullae smaller and less inflated ventrally. Among named races of T. bottae, birdseyei most closely resem- bles trumbullensis in size, but differs as follows: Hind foot and tail longer. Color: Lighter throughout; postauricular patches smaller and lighter. Skull: Larger; mastoid breadth less; zygo- matic arches wider and more widely spreading posteriorly; median frontal depression more marked; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; tympanic bullae less inflated ventrally; molari- form teeth larger. For comparisons with Thomomys bottae planirostris see account of that form. Remarks. — T. b. birdseyei is apparently endemic to the moun- tainous area of southwestern Utah in Washington and Iron coun- ties. It intergracles with virgineus and with planirostris as de- scribed in the account of the latter. Specimens examined. — Total, 8, distributed as follows: Washington County: Pine Valley, 1 (TJ. S. N. M.); Pine Valley Mountains, 5 mi. E Pine Valley, 8,300 ft., 3 (U. S. N. M.); Pine Valley campground, 6,800 ft., 1 (R. H.) ; % mi. E town of Pine Valley, 6,500 ft., 3 (R. H.). Additional records. — Washington County: Hebron, 1; Mountain Meadows, 2 (Bailey 1915:75). Thomomys bottae virgineus Goldman Thomomys bottae virgineus Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington. 50:133, September 10, 1937. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 262016, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; Beaverdam Creek, near confluence with Vir- gin River, Littlefield, 1,500 ft., Mohave County, Arizona; October 16, 1936; Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 65 collected by Luther C. Goldman; original number 67 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — Extreme southwestern Utah, in Beaverdam Wash, Washington County, Utah. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Cin- namon Buff, finely mixed with black; sides and flanks Pinkish Buff; under- parts Pale Pinkish Buff; front feet, hind feet, and distal part of tail white; nose, cheeks, chin and top of head grayish black. Skull: Robust, with mod- erately wide zygomatic arches; z3'gomatic processes of maxillae wide; zygo- matic processes of squamosals long; jugals concave laterally, giving the zygomatic arches the appearance of double bowing; nasals long; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals long; tympanic bullae well inflated ven- trally; pterygoid hamulae heavy; interpterygoid space widely V-shaped; molariform teeth large. Comparisons. — For comparisons of virgineus with Thomomys bottae planirostris and T. b. birdseyei see accounts under those forms. Topotypical specimens of virgineus can be distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae trumbullensis as follows: Size smaller. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Zygomatic arches less widely spreading; jugals more bowed medially; zygomatic processes of squamosals longer; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; tympanic bullae larger and more inflated ventrally; molari- form teeth larger. Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae centralis, vir- gineus differs in: Size smaller; tail shorter; hind foot smaller. Color: Deeper Cinnamon Buff, thus darker in overall appearance. Skull: Smaller, but relatively wider; zygomatic processes of maxil- lae heavier; region of maxillo-jugal sutures thicker; jugals more concave laterally; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; molari- form teeth larger. Remarks. — This pocket gopher occupies practically the same range in Utah as the large kangaroo rat Dipodomys deserti deserti Stephens. Both are found in the Beaverdam Wash. The type lo- cality of virgineus is but a short distance down the Beaverdam Creek at Littlefield, Arizona. It intergrades with birdseyei, the mountain form to the north and east (see remarks under birdseyei). There are evidences of intergradation with planirostris of the Vir- gin River Valley above the narrows of the Virgin River where it cuts through the Beaverdam Mountains (see the discussion under planirostris). There are intergradational tendencies exhibited to- 5—2786 66 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. wards centralis in some specimens. Some of the animals are prac- tically indistinguishable in color and there are intergrading cranial characters in the nasals, zygomatic arches and tympanic bullae. Specimens examined. — Total, 20, distributed as follows: Washington County: Beaverdam Wash, 8 mi. N Utah-Arizona border, 7; Beaverdam Wash, 5 mi. N Utah-Arizona border, 2,600 ft., 13. Thomomys bottae planirostris Burt Thomomys perpallidus planirostris Burt, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 44:38, May 8, 1931. Thomomys bottae planirostris Hall and Davis, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash- ington, 47:52, February 9, 1934; Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:156, October 31, 1935; Presnall, Zion-Bryce Mus. Bull., 2:14, Janu- ary, 1938; Long, Journ. Mamm, 21:176, May 14, 1940. Thomomys perpallidus aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:75, No- vember 15, 1915; Barnes. Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12): 100, June, 1927; Woodbury, Ecological Monographs, 3:193, April, 1933. Thomomys bottae centralis Hall and Davis, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washing- ton, 47:52/ February 9, 1934; Presnall, Zion-Bryce Mus. Bull., 2:14, January, 1938. Thomomys perpallidus centralis Hall, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 23:445, July 8, 1930. Thomomys bottae nicholi Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 28:337, July 15, 1938, type from Shivwits Plateau, 20 mi. S Wolf Hole (road to Parashonts), 5,000 ft., Mohave County, Arizona; Hardy, Eco- logical Monographs, 15:98, January, 1945. Thomomys bottae trumbidlensis Hall and Davis, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 47:52, February 9, 1934. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 8395, Collection of Donald R. Dickey; Zion National Park, Washington County, Utah; May 4, 1920; col- lected by A. Brazier Howell; original number 2184 (after Burt, type not seen). Range. — Valley of the Virgin River from Zion National Park west to the Beaverdam Mountains. Diagnosis. — Size large (see measurements); tail long. Color: Upper parts Sayal Brown ; underparts between Vinaceous Cinnamon and Cinnamon, grading to Pinkish Cinnamon in some specimens; nose, chin, cheeks, postauricular patches, and top of head grayish black; front feet and hind feet white; tail Pinkish Buff, with distal third white. Skull: Massive and ridged; nasals straight and flat, simple distally; dorsal surface of rostrum slightly concave at proximal end of nasals; zygomatic arches widely spreading, widest posteri- orly; zygomatic processes of maxillae heavy; premaxillae broad and extend- ing far beyond posterior end of nasals; rostrum wide and heavy; palate slightly arched; pterygoid hamulae heavy; interpterygoid space V-shaped; tympanic bullae moderately inflated ventrally, somewhat compressed laterally; upper incisors long and heavy; molariform teeth large. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae birdseyei, planirostris differs as follows: Size larger, except total length which averages slightly less in females. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken; more Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 67 massive; rostrum wider, longer and more nearly flat; nasals straight and not inflated dorsally on distal end; premaxillae wider at pos- terior ends; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; zygomatic arches heavier, especially the zygomatic processes of the maxillae; posterior ends of nasals more nearly truncate as op- posed to generally rounded; tympanic bullae more nearly flat and relatively smaller; upper incisors longer and heavier; interptery- goid space more narrowly V-shaped; molariform teeth much heavier. Topotypes of planirostris differ from near topotypes of Thomo- mys bottae virgineus as follows: Size larger; tail and hind foot longer. Color: Slightly darker dorsally, but markedly darker ven- trally; postauricular patches smaller and lighter. Skull: Larger in every measurement taken ; skull more massive ; nasals flat, neither arched nor swollen distally; rostrum wider; nasofrontal region flat- tened or concave as opposed to convex; premaxillae relatively nar- rower; zygomatic arches heavier, especially in the processes of the maxillae; tympanic bullae smaller and less inflated ventrally; in- terpterygoid space generally more narrowly V-shaped; upper in- cisors longer and heavier; molariform teeth larger. From topotypes of Thomomys bottae trumbullensis, planirostris differs in: Size larger throughout; tail longer. Color: Much lighter throughout. Skull: More convex dorsally; rostrum wider and more depressed distally; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals greater; zygomatic arches shorter, and not as widely spreading pos- teriorly; interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; tympanic bullae smaller; upper incisors wider and longer; molariform teeth larger. Topotypes of planirostris can be easily distinguished from those of Thomomys bottae absonus by darker color throughout and mark- edly larger size. Remarks. — From the synonomy at the beginning of this account one may note that the animals here ascribed to this subspecies have had nearly as many subspecific names applied to them as there have been investigators who have written about them. Although each of the previous writers had but a small amount of material upon which to base his opinion, the diversity of opinion as to subspe- cific status bespeaks the instability of these animals. The present study is based upon eighty animals including additional compara- tive material. All animals from Zion National Park have the characters pointed out by Burt (1931:38) in his description of this form. Farther 68 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. down the Virgin River Valley towards St. George, however, some very perplexing problems of intergradation are encountered. St. George and environs may correctly be thought of as a "melting pot." Each of the fifty-seven animals studied from this region is an in- tergrade; some specimens combine the characters of three sub- species. As may be seen on the distribution map, three different subspecies of Thomomys bottae occur in Washington County. Down the river, below St. George, the race virgineus inhabits the Virgin River Valley below the narrows of the Beaverdam Mountains. Because these narrows are filled with water from wall to wall during periods of high runoff, they form an effective barrier at present to migra- tion of pocket gophers. The mountains to the north of St. George are inhabited by the dark form, birdseyei. The type locality of planirostris is on the middle reaches of the Virgin River, in Zion National Park. In addition Mount Trumbull to the south, in north- ern Arizona, is the locality of another subspecies, trumbullensis. Unquestionably the easiest route of migration into the St. George area is down the Virgin River from Zion National Park ; no barrier to gophers occurs between the Park and St. George. Although the animals from St. George are all intergrades, the majority of their affinities as would be expected are with planirostris from Zion Na- tional Park. The river itself is not an impassable barrier for gophers to the north and south of it, since this stream frequently changes its course, and often nearly dries up. The Virgin River Valley in Zion National Park is in the bottom of a relatively deep, narrow canyon which has sheer rock escarpments. The upper reaches of the river are inhabited by pocket gophers of another species, Thomomys talpoides. Two specimens from St. George, north of the Virgin River, were identified as centralis by Hall and Davis (1934:52), but were stated to be intergrades between centralis, trumbullensis and planirostris. Goldman (1938:338) referred twelve specimens from St. George to nicholi, but stated that they intergraded with planirostris. Twenty-six other specimens from three miles southwest of St. George on the west side of Santa Clara Creek, about one-half mile above its confluence with the Virgin River and on its north side, like the topotypes of planirostris were taken in May and have com- plete, fresh summer pelage. With the exception of two specimens which show the ventral color of virgineus, these animals are indis- tinguishable in color from the topotypes of planirostris. A study Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 69 of eleven measurements of the males of this series yield the follow- ing data: Like planirostris in four measurements, birdseyei in one, virgineus in one; intergrade between planirostris and birdseyei in two, planirostris and virgineus in two and birdseyei and virgineus in one. Corresponding measurements of the females show the ani- mals to be: Like planirostris in four measurements, birdseyei in one, virgineus in two; intergrade between planirostris and birds- eyei in two, planirostris and virgineus in one and birdseyei and virgineus in one. In eight of eleven measurements the males either are like planirostris or intergrade towards it, and the females are similarly allied to planirostris in seven out of eleven measurements. In none of the measurements was either sex referable to trumbullen- sis. Intergradation was noted in still other cranial details. In the heavy, relatively straight zygomatic arches, a majority of the skulls resemble those of planirostris, although some show the elon- gated zygomatic processes of the squamosals that are characteristic of virgineus. Some skulls show a tendency toward birdseyei in the widely spreading posterior regions of the zygomatic arches. The nasals for the most part are as in planirostris. Intergradation between all three subspecies is shown in the extension of the pre- maxillae posterior to the nasals. Some skulls show the lateral con- cavity of the jugals which is characteristic of virgineus. The tym- panic bullae are variable but on the average are intermediate be- tween those of planirostris and birdseyei, but more as in the latter. The size of the pterygoid hamulae is like that of planirostris, but the shape of the interpterygoid space is more like that of birds- eyei. The size of the molariform teeth is as in birdseyei. The in- cisors are intermediate between those of planirostris and birdseyei, but more like those of birdseyei. Eighteen specimens from St. George and its environs, on the north side of the Virgin River, agree with the twenty-six specimens just described, except that they show more evidence of intergrada- tion with birdseyei in slightly darker color, length of hind foot, length of nasals and alveolar length of the upper molar series. One specimen from three miles south, two from two miles south- west, another from four miles southeast of St. George, and four immature animals from Short Creek Road south of the town of Virgin, all on the south side of the Virgin River, are darker than topotypes of planirostris and show intergradation with trumbul- lensis to the south. In size they are likewise closer to the latter 70 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. race. They intergrade with trumbullensis in the size and shape of the zygomatic arches and tympanic bullae. In the majority of cranial details, however, they are like planirostris to which they are here referred. One specimen, a skin only, from Danish Ranch, 5 miles north- west of Leeds, north of the Virgin River is an intergrade in size and color between birdseyei and planirostris, but referable to the latter. Three specimens from the East Entrance, and three from near the east entrance to Zion National Park are much darker than topo- types of planirostris. All of these animals are in worn pelage, thus allowing a great amount of the black underfur to show, which gives a markedly darker color. The unworn hair is only slightly darker than that of the topotypes. The cranial details prove these animals to be intergrades between planirostris and trumbullensis. They re- semble trumbullensis in size of tympanic bullae, extension of the premaxillae posterior to the nasals and shape of the nasals. The majority of the cranial details are as in planirostris to which they are here referred. When Goldman (1938:337) named Thomomys bottae nicholi from northern Arizona he referred twelve specimens from St. George, Washington County, Utah, to his newly named race. He noted that the animals from this region intergrade with planirostris. I have had occasion to study one-fourth of the material available to Goldman for his original description of nicholi. For his speci- mens listed as from St. George, the exact locality of capture, which is so essential in this distributional study, was not given. All of the specimens that I have seen from the Biological Surveys Collec- tion are from the south side of the Virgin River, while St. George itself is on the north side. As noted earlier in this account there are differences between the gophers from the two sides of the Virgin River in this area. Those from the north side are intergrades be- tween birdseyei, planirostris and virgineus, while those from the south side are intergrades between planirostris and trumbullensis. Goldman (loc. cit.) mentioned several times that the skulls of nicholi were nearly indistinguishable from, or closely resembled those of, trumbullensis. Color was the only truly diagnostic char- acter mentioned by Goldman. My study reveals the same differ- ences and likenesses found by Goldman, but I consider color alone insufficient basis in this instance for establishing a new subspecies, and regard Thomomys bottae nicholi as a synonym of the earlier proposed name, Thomomys bottae trumbullensis. Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 71 The animals from the south side of the Virgin River, labelled as from St. George, Washington County, heretofore referred by Gold- man to nicholi, are intergrades between trumbullensis and plani- rostris and along with other specimens from the same place are referable to the latter race. Specimens examined. — Total, 68, distributed as follows: Washington County: Danish Ranch, 5 mi. NW Leeds, 1; Zion National Park, 2 (M. V. Z.); Grotto Camp, Zion National Park, 4,300 ft., 6 (N. H. M. S. D.); Springdale, 3,400 ft., 4 (K. U.); near Short Creek Road, S town of Virgin, 4 (R. H.); St. George, N Virgin River, 2,950 ft., 21 (4, M. V. Z. ; 8, R. H. ; 9, N. H. M. S. D.); Santa Clara Creek, 3 mi. SW St. George, 2,800 ft., 26; St. George, S Virgin River, 5 (2, M. V. Z. ; 3, U. S. N. M.) ; 2 mi. SE St. George, 2,950 ft., 2 (N. H. M. S. D.); 3 mi. S St. George, 1 (C. M.); 4 mi. SE St. George, S Virgin River, 1 (R. H.); 6 mi. S St. George, 2,700 ft., 6 (K. U.). Kane County: East Entrance Zion National Park, 5,725 ft., 3 (N. H. M. S. D.); near East Entrance Zion National Park, 5,500 ft., 3 (N. H. M. S. D.). Additional records. — Washington County: Zion National Park, 22; Washington, 7 (Burt, 1931:39); St. George, 5; Santa Clara, 2 (Bailey, 1915:75). Thomomys bottae absonus Goldman Thomomys perpallidus absonus Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 21:425, October 19, 1931. Thomomys bottae absonus Hall and Davis, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washing- ton, 47:52, February 9, 1934; Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 48:156, October 31, 1935. Thomomys perpallidus aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:75, No- vember 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15) :85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):100, June, 1927. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 250016, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; Jacobs Pools, Houserock Valley, 4,000 ft., Coconino County, Arizona; June 7, 1931; collected by E. A. Goldman; orig- inal number 23569 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — Southern Utah in Kane and Garfield counties, in the drainages of Kanab Creek, Johnson Creek, Paria River and Escalante River. Diagnosis. — Size medium (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Och- raceous Buff mixed with dusky; sides and underparts Light Ochraceous Buff; chin, nose, cheeks and top of head grayish black; postauricular patches black mixed with buff; front feet, hind feet, inguinal region and distal third of tail white. Skull: Nasals relatively long; rostrum narrow; ascending processes of premaxillae narrow; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals short; lamb- doidal and sagittal crests poorly developed; zygomatic arches light; jugals nearly straight; palate narrow; molariform teeth small. Comparisons. — Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae trumbullensis, absonus differs in: Size smaller. Color: Markedly lighter throughout. Skull: Smoother, less angular; zygomatic arches weak as opposed to robust; nasals more convex as viewed later- ally; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; ascending processes of premaxillae narrower; palate narrower; palatal pits shallower; rostrum narrower; molariform teeth smaller. 72 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. For comparisons of absonus with Thomomys bottae aureus see account under that form. Among named races of Thomomys bottae, absonus most closely resembles planirostris, but can be distinguished from the topotypes as follows: Size markedly smaller. Color: Lighter, more buffy throughout. Skull: Smaller, less ridged and more nearly flat; nasals convex as opposed to flat; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals less; width of ascending processes of premaxillae less; zygo- matic arches weaker; palate narrower; alveolar length of upper molar series shorter; tympanic bullae more inflated ventrally; mo- lariform teeth smaller and lighter. Remarks. — One specimen from Kanab is an intergrade between trumbullensis and absonus. The majority of its characters are with absonus to which it is referred (see Hall and Davis, 1934:52). Two specimens from Escalante are intergrades between absonus and dissimilis, but are referable to absonus. Specimens examined. — Total, 3, distributed as follows: Garfield County: Escalante, 5,258 ft., 2 (B. Y. U.). Kane County: Kanab, 4,925 ft., 1 (M. V. Z.). Thomomys bottae alexandrae Goldman Thomomys alexandrae Goldman, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 23:464, October 15, 1933. Thomomys bottae alexandrae Benson, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 40:449, December 31, 1935. Type. — Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 250969, U. S. National Museum (Biological Surveys Collection) ; 5 mi. SE Rainbow Lodge, near Navajo Moun- tain, Coconino County, Arizona; June 16, 1933; collected by E. A. Goldman; original number 23613 (after Goldman, type not seen). Range. — In extreme southwestern San Juan County, Utah. Known only from Navajo Mountain, probably limited to the area enclosed on the north by the Colorado and San Juan rivers, on the east and west by Navajo and Piute canyons, respectively. Diagnosis. — Size small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts Cinnamon Buff, grading over the sides to Pinkish Buff on underparts; nose and top of head grayish black; hind feet and tail white; postauricular patches large and dark. Skull: Small and not heavily ridged; zygomatic arches widely spread- ing but weak; zygomatic arches nearly parallel; tympanic bullae moderately inflated ventrally; palate not arched; interpterygoid space U-shaped; denti- tion light. Comparisons. — Compared to topotypes of Thomomys bottae ab- sonus, alexandrae differs as follows: Size smaller in every measure- ment taken. Color: Upper parts Cinnamon Buff as contrasted with Light Ochraceous Buff. Skull: Smaller in every measurement Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 73 taken except interorbital breadth and alveolar length of upper molar series which are larger; molariform teeth larger. Among named races of Thomomys bottae occurring in Utah, alexandrae most resembles T. b. aureus to the northeast. It can be distinguished from topotypes of the latter by: Size smaller in every measurement taken. Color: Darker throughout. Skull: Smaller, slenderer and more nearly flat; palate nearly flat as opposed to arched; zygomatic arches weaker and not so widely spreading; in- terparietal narrower; tympanic bullae smaller; dentition weaker. Remarks. — Goldman (1933:464) accorded alexandrae full specific status, because he found no intergradation with other races, from which he thought alexandrae had been isolated perhaps for thou- sands of years by the barriers of the surrounding terrain. Benson (1935:450) noted resemblances between alexandrae and specimens of latirostris from Keams Canyon, Zuni Well, and Winslow in Navajo County, Arizona (— aureus), and also between alexandrae and absonus from Houserock Valley, Arizona. He thought that alexandrae is no more differentiated or isolated than each of several other kinds of desert pocket gophers, and, therefore, accorded alex- andrae only subspecific status, as I, also, am inclined to do. Specimens examined. — One (M. V. Z.) from Soldier Spring, Navajo Mountain, 8,600 ft., San Juan County. Fourteen topotypes from Arizona also were examined. 74 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Measurements of Adult Males of Thomomys (In millimeters) H — i t- 1 T) f N — > H t- 1 * 1 "D 3 2 » !5 3 '< rt c 5 S 2 ft s. 5* -> 5" 5 B" o C 3 £8 5" g a.' — O •a 2. f» c-*- co 5' ? 3 B B- O a B" O 3* ;_ 1 ' p. 1 8 3 — -I O 3 IT'S- s o CO o CO a. — =r 0. ?§ o 3. Hi ?B i l o (S «■ ; ; CO Av 243 Min 232 Max 253 Av 237 Min 215 Max 250 Av 228 Mia 223 Max 235 Av 222 Min 214 Max 236 Av 206 Min 198 Max 215 Av 230 Min 220 Max 242 Av 184 Min 179 Max 189 Av 251 Min 248 Max 255 Av 229 Min. 209 Max 255 T. b. aureiventris, 4; topotypes (Hall, 1930:446) 67 32 36.4 14.7 26.5 21.5 6.6 7.9 59 31 35.3 14.0 25.5 20.9 6.1 7.8 72 33 37.1 15.3 27.3 22.3 6.9 8.0 T. b. centralis, 9; topotypes (Hall, 1930:446) 75 30 36.3 14.6 25.2 20.7 6.6 8.0 61 29 34.5 13.9 24.6 19.7 5.8 7.5 83 32 38.0 15.9 26.1 21.9 7.2 8.7 T. b. albicaudatus, 7; topotypes (Hall, 1930:446) 65 31 35.4 14.0 26.1 20.5 6.6 8.1 59 29 34.9 13.4 24.9 19.8 6.4 7.8 72 32 36.1 15.1 27.8 21.1 6.9 8.4 T. b. robustus, 9; topotypes 65 29 34.1 13.6 26.0 20.8 6.4 7.8 59 28 32.6 13.0 25.2 20.0 6.1 7.3 70 31 35.7 14.4 26.7 21.5 6.7 8.2 T. b. stansburyi, 5; topotypes 60 28 32.3 12.4 22.4 19.1 6.3 7.6 58 26 30.6 12.0 21.5 18.2 6.2 7.0 68 31 33.4 13.0 23.1 20.1 6.5 8.0 T. b. nesophilus, 4; topotypes 69 32 35.3 14.4 25.5 20.4 6.8 8.4 60 30 33.6 14.1 24.9 19.8 6.5 8.2 75 33 36.5 14.8 26.2 21.1 7.1 8.7 T. b. minimus, 2; topotypes 60 25 30.7 11.3 21.3 18.7 6.4 7.4 55 24 28.7 10.2 20.2 17.8 6.3 7.3 64 26 32.8 12.5 22.4 19.6 6.4 7.6 T. b. lenis, 2; topotypes 80 32 39.7 16.0 28.6 22.6 6.8 8.3 74 31 39.4 15.8 28.4 22.4 6.6 8.2 86 32 29.9 16.2 28.7 22.7 6.9 8.5 T. b. contractus, 8; topotypes 74 31 33.3 12.5 23.7 19.1 6.6 7.6 63 28 30.0 10.9 21.4 17.7 6.3 7.2 85 33 37.4 14.5 26.4 20.9 6.9 8.0 2.4 1.8 3.4 3.2 2.2 4.5 3.2 3.0 3.8 2.7 2.0 3.0 2.8 2.5 3.0 2.5 2.1 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.4 3.0 3.7 3.0 2.4 3.5 15.7 8.4 14.7 8.1 17.0 8.8 14.7 14.1 15.4 13.9 12.9 15.0 18.4 17.9 18.8 7.5 7.1 7.8 17.1 8.2 16.4 7.6 18.4 8.6 7.5 7.0 7.9 8.8 8.6 8.9 15.4 7.3 13.5 6.5 18.2 8.0 Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 75 Measurements of Adult Males of Thomomys — Continued *3 Q n 9 to t-> M f s CO D 1 ED "1 9. B* 5' c 5 I o tr CO O 5.' cr I CO a. Q. c < •o 2. S3 B 5* O 3 »9 -> a- W O ST CO 9 e-»- Co S' *° ^, S~ ■-» •— i*d " 3 CO ■A 9- o 3- ts u o 8. No. 191959 (U. S. N. M.) 222 65 28 T. b. levidensis, 1 ; topotype 33.3 12.7 24.5 19.0 6.5 7.6 3.3 15.1 8.0 T. b. convexus, 6; topotypes Av 213 59 28 33.1 14.3 24.9 21.7 6.6 8.0 2.6 Min 206 57 27 31.3 13.9 23.8 21.0 6.5 7.7 2.1 Max 233 68 29 35.0 14.6 26.7 22.3 6.8 8.1 2.8 T. b. tivius, 7; topotypes Av 208 69 27 31.5 12.2 22.4 18.4 6.4 7.2 2.4 Min 199 67 25 29.3 11.9 20.6 17.1 6.0 7.0 2.1 Max 227 70 30 34.1 12.8 25.0 19.8 6.6 7.6 3.0 T. b. bonnevillei, 3; topotypes Av 228 70 30 35.4 13.9 26.4 21.8 6.6 8.1 3.7 Min 221 62 30 33.6 13.2 25.4 20.5 6.5 8.1 3.4 Max 236 79 30 37.4 14.9 28.0 22.5 6.7 8.1 4.3 T. b. sevieri, 3; topotypes Av 216 67 '30 32.7 12.9 22.9 18.7 6.4 7.2 2.5 Min 210 66 29 31.7 11.8 22.2 18.0 6.2 7.0 1.8 Max 222 68 31 33.5 13.5 23.4 19.3 6.7 7.2 3.0 T. b. wahwahensis, 4; topotypes Av 228 66 29 34.7 13.5 25.5 20.7 6.6 7.3 2.3 Min 210 60 26 33.0 13.1 24.6 20.1 6.5 7.0 2.2 Max 250 78 30 37.6 14.6 27.0 21.4 6.8 8.0 2.5 T. b. planirostris, 8; topotypes (Burt, 1931:39) Av 238 76 32 35.6 13.8 25.9 20.4 6.6 8.5 3.7 Min 222 66 31 33.3 12.5 24.4 19.8 6.2 8.2 3.0 Max 261 83 34 38.7 15.3 27.6 21.3 7.2 8.9 4.5 T. b. birdseyei, 3; topotypes Av 227 64 31 34.9 13.8 26.2 20.9 6.2 8.4 2.6 Min 214 52 30 34.5 13.1 26.0 20.1 6.0 8.1 2.2 Max 243 81 32 35.2 14.1 27.4 21.5 6.5 8.8 2.8 T. b. virgineus, 5; Beaverdam Wash, 5 mi. N Utah-Arizona Line Av 226 68 29 34.6 13.5 25.6 20.7 6.3 8.0 3.0 Min 216 62 27 33.5 12.8 25.0 20.0 6.1 7.6 2.4 Max 235 70 30 34.9 14.4 26.0 21.1 6.6 8.4 3.5 T. b. aureus, 3; topotypes Av 242 68 34 36.6 14.3 25.3 21.4 6.6 8.3 2.4 Min 233 65 32 35.3 13.8 24.6 20.6 6.4 7.7 2.0 Max 251 70 36 37.8 14.9 25.8 22.0 6.8 8.7 2.5 16.2 15.2 17.2 8.2 8.0 8.6 14.0 13.2 15.0 7.1 6.5 7.9 17.6 16.1 18.1 8.5 8.2 8.7 15.3 14.5 16.4 7.6 7.5 7.7 15.7 14.9 17.1 8.7 8.5 9.0 8.8 8.3 9.4 16.3 16.0 16.9 8.3 8.2 8.4 16.5 15.3 17.4 8.5 8.3 8.7 17.2 16.7 17.9 8.7 8.3 9.0 78 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Measurements of Adult Females of Thomomys — Continued H ■H f T) t" 1 ts g 1— 1 13 > M f a o ■o n> I A *< w X 2 S- 3 3 3 TO C < •O r* a (0 2. o ? 3 : f T. 6. convexus, 11; topotypes Av 197 57 27 29.9 12.5 21.7 19.3 6.6 7.7 2.6 Min 182 43 26 27.9 11.2 21.0 18.8 6.2 7.1 2.1 Max 204 63 28 30.9 13.4 22.3 19.8 7.1 7.9 3.1 T. b. tivius, 5; topotypes Av 203 68 27 29.5 11.1 21.1 17.8 6.5 7.2 2.4 Min 192 63 26 28.0 10.5 20.1 17.3 6.3 7.1 2.0 Max 215 74 30 31.3 11.4 22.9 19.0 6.7 7.5 3.0 T. b. bonnevillei, 7; topotypes Av 199 57 28 31.7 11.8 22.2 19.3 6.6 7.7 3.2 Min 184 50 24 29.4 10.1 20.3 18.1 6.4 7.1 2.6 Max 216 66 29 34.3 13.6 24.3 20.3 7.0 8.5 4.1 T. b. sevieri, 7; topotypes Av ... 205 62 28 30.2 11.8 21.6 18.0 6.4 7.0 2.7 Min 199 54 28 29.4 11.3 20.6 17.7 6.1 6.6 2.1 Max 212 70 29 30.7 12.6 22.1 18.6 6.8 7.4 3.0 T. b. wahwahensis, 8; topotypes Av 185 56 27 28.7 11.3 20.6 17.6 6.3 7.1 2.1 Min 180 50 26 26.3 10.2 19.0 16.5 5.8 6.9 1.1 Max 197 62 29 30.7 12.6 22.0 19.0 6.7 7.8 2.9 T. b. planirostris, 8; topotypes (Burt, 1931:39) Av 215 71 31 32.2 12.4 23.2 18.7 6.5 8.1 3.6 Min . 205 61 30 31.5 11.8 22.3 18.1 6.4 7.5 2.8 Max 228 78 33 33.0 12.9 24.1 19.5 6.7 8.6 4.5 T. b. birdseyei, 3; topotypes Av 220 71 29 31.6 11.8 22.7 18.6 6.1 7.4 2.4 Min . 217 68 28 31.4 11.0 22.4 18.3 6.0 7.3 1.6 Max 223 75 30 32.0 12.8 23.0 19.1 6.2 7.4 3.0 T. b. virgineus, 4; Beaverdam Wash, 5 mi. N Utah- Arizona Line Av 211 64 29 31.6 12.2 22.6 19.4 5.9 7.5 3.1 Min 202 60 27 31.3 11.3 22.4 18.8 5.8 7.3 2.4 Max 218 68 30 32.1 12.8 22.7 20.0 6.1 7.8 3.7 T. b. aureus, 3; topotypes Av 226 57 31 33.2 13.3 23.8 19.8 6.7 8.2 1.9 Min 217 54 30 32.8 12.5 23.3 19.6 6.4 8.0 1.6 Max'..... 233 64 31 34.0 14.2 24.4 19.8 6.9 8.4 2.0 No. 20300 (C. M.) T. b. howelli, 1; 10 mi. N Moab 202 59 28 32.4 12.3 21.1 19.2 6.4 7.9 2.4 14.7 13.3 15.2 7.4 7.1 7.7 13.5 12.7 14.2 6.8 6.4 7.2 14.9 13.5 16.6 7.3 6.9 7.7 14.2 13.9 14.7 7.1 6.6 7.6 12.6 10.8 14.0 7.1 6.4 7.6 .... 7.9 7.5 8.1 14.7 13.3 15.3 7.5 7.4 7.5 15.1 14.4 15.5 7.3 7.2 7.6 15.3 14.5 16.4 8.2 8.2 8.3 15.8 8.3 Durrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 79 Measurements of Adult Females of Thomomys — Concluded H o 3 •a 9 3 J} 3 cd EC 3 T5 3 3 » a, 3- O 5-' o c < •a ™ •a 2. 2 » B m - O 3 IT 1 * a> o d r-t- GO 3 o" B S. 3 3 B* a a> B) a. **■ B* O o No. 158524 (U. S. N. M.) 188 61 27 No. 158528 (U. S. N. M.) 203 61 27 A.v .. 205 63 28 .. 195 57 27 Max . . . . . 215 70 29 T. b. dissimilis, 1; topotype 28.2 10.1 19.0 16.7 6. T. b. osgoodi, 1; topotype 29.6 11.5 .... 18.3 T. b. alexandrae, 3; topotypes 30.9 11.8 20.8 17.9 6.4 28.7 11.5 20.5 17.2 6.3 31.5 12.1 22.2 18.6 6.5 7.4 2.1 12.8 6.5 6.9 7.4 2.0 14.0 7.3 7.6 1.8 14.1 7.5 7.5 1.5 13.6 7.2 7.7 2.0 14.7 7.7 80 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. LITERATURE CITED Allen, J. A. 1874. Notes on the mammals of portions of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, Part IV. On the mammals of the Great Salt Lake Valley, Utah. Bull. Essex Inst., 6:61-66, 1874. 1893. Descriptions of four new species of Thomomys with remarks on other species of the genus. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 5:47-68, April 28, 1893. 1893. List of mammals collected by Mr. Charles P. Rowley in the San Juan region of Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, with descriptions of new species. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 5:69-84, April 28, 1893. 1896. List of mammals collected by Mr. Walter W. Granger in New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska, 1895-1896, with field notes by the collector. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 8:241-258, November 25, 1896. 1905. Mammals from Beaver County, Utah, collected by the Museum ex- pedition of 1904. Brooklyn Inst. Mus. Sci. Bull., 1:117-122, March 31, 1905. Bailey, Vernon. 1915. Revision of the pocket gophers of the genus Thomomys. N. Amer. Fauna, 39:1-136, pis. 8. 10 figs., November 15, 1915. Barnes, Claude T. 1922. Mammals of Utah. Bull. Univ. Utah. 12 (No. 15): 1-176, 30 figs., April, 1922. 1927. Utah mammals. Bull. Univ. Utah. 17 (No. 12): 1-183, 32 figs., June, 1927. Benson, Seth B. 1935. A biological reconnaissance of Navajo Mountain, Utah. Univ. Cali- fornia Publ. Zool., 40:439-455, December 31, 1935. Burt, William H. 1931. A new pocket gopher of the genus Thomomys from Utah. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 44:37-40, May 8, 1931. Coues, E. 1875. Abstract of results of a study of the genera Geomys and Thomomys. Part III. Zoology, in explorations of the Colorado River of the West and its tributaries, explored in 1869, 1870, 1871 and 1872 under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, reported by J. W. Powell, Gov't Printing Office. Washington, D. C, 1875. 1877. Monographs of North American Rodents, No. X, Geomyidae, pp. 601-629, U. S. Geol. Surv. of the territories, Gov't Printing Office, Washington, D. C, 1877. Coues, E., and Yarrow, H. C. 1875. Report upon the collection of mammals made in portions of Ne- vada, Utah, California, New Mexico and Arizona during the years 1871-74. Wheeler's Rept. Expl. W of 100th Mer. vol. 5, pp. 35-129, 1875. Dirrant — Pocket Gophers of Utah 81 Davis, William B. 1939. The Recent mammals of Idaho. The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, pp. 1-400, pis. 2. 33 figs, April 5, 1939. Durrant, Stephen D. 1937. Two new gophers from Utah. Bull. Univ. Utah. 28 (No. 4):l-7, August 18, 1937. 1939. A new pocket gopher of the Thomomys quadratm group from the northern Great Basin region. Bull. Univ. Utah, 39 (No. 6):l-6, February 28, 1939. Goldman, E. A. 1933. New mammals from Arizona. New Mexico and Colorado. Journ. Washington Acad. Sci, 23:463-473. October 15, 1933. 1936. New pocket gophers of the genus Thomomys. Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 26:111-120, March 15. 1936. 1938. New pocket gophers of the genus Thomomys from Arizona and Utah. Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., 28:333-343, July 15. 1938. 1939. Remarks on pocket gophers, with special reference to Thomomys talpoides. Journ. Mamm.. 20:231-244. May 14, 1939. 1942. Three new rodents from southern Utah. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washing- ton, 55:75-78, July 25. 1942. Hall, E. Raymond. 1931. Critical comments on mammals from Utah, with descriptions of new forms from Utah, Nevada and Washington. Univ. California Publ. Zool. v 37:1-13, April 10, 1931. Hall, E. Raymond, and Davis, W t illjam B. 1934. Notes on Arizona rodents. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 47:51-56, February 9, 1934. Haywakd, C. Lynn. 1936. A bibliography of Utah mammalogy; including references to names and type localities applied to Utah mammals. Utah Acad. Sci. Arts and Letters, 13:122-146, 1936. 1941. A bibliography of Utah mammalogy; including references to names and type localities (first supplement). Great Basin Nat., 2:125-136, December 31. 1941. Marshall, William H. 1940. A survey of the mammals of the islands in Great Salt Lake, Utah. Journ. Mamm, 21:149-159. 2 pis, 1 map, May 14, 1940. Merriam, C. Hart. 1901. Descriptions of twenty-three new pocket gophers of the genus Tho- momys. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 14:107-117. July 19, 1901. 6-2786 82 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Miller, Gerritt S., Jr. 1924. List of North American Recent mammals, 1923. U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., 128, pp. I-XVI, + 1-673, Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D. C., March 18, 1924. Svihla, Ruth Dowell. 1931. Mammals of the Uinta Mountains region. Journ. Mamm., 12:256- 266, pis. 1, 1 fig., August 24, 1931. □ 21-2786 The Systematic Status of Eumeces pluvialis Cope, and Noteworthy Records of Other Amphibians and Reptiles From Kansas and Oklahoma BY HOBART M. SMITH University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 2, pp. 85-89 August 15, 1946 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1946 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Donald S. Farner, Donald F. Hoffmeister Volume 1, No. 2, pp. 85-89 Published August 15, 1946 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR. . STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1946 21-2765 gO,SS3 The Systematic Status of Eumeces pluvialis Cope, and Noteworthy Records of Other Amphibians and Reptiles from Kansas and Oklahoma By HOBART M. SMITH A number of noteworthy items have come to attention in the course of a survey of material for a handbook on the herpetology of Kansas. Some of the items, which follow, can be recorded here more appropriately than in the handbook. Eumeces anthracinus pluvialis Cope Recent material in addition to information presented in Taylor's monograph of Eumeces (Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull, 23, 1935) re- veals that Eumeces anthracinus is composed of three geographically distinct populations : One occurs from western New York to northern Georgia, and west to Kentucky, in the Appalachian uplands or northward of them; a second centers about the Ozark uplands but extends into northwestern Louisiana, eastern Texas, central Okla- homa, eastern Kansas, and nearly as far east as the Mississippi river in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri ; the third popula- tion occurs in extreme southern Alabama and Mississippi. These populations differ in at least the color of the young. Speci- mens from the eastern area are marked at birth like the adults ; those from the western area are black at birth and develop stripes as they grow older; unfortunately young specimens from the southern area are not known. Obviously at least two races are involved, the eastern and the western. Whether the southern population belongs to one of these races or is distinct is unknown. Until this point is settled the name for the western race will remain in doubt. The eastern race is the typical one, Eumeces a. anthracinus (Baird) (Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1 (ser. 2) :294, 1850; type locality North Mountain, Carlisle. Pennsylvania). The southern population has been named pluvialis by Cope (Ann. Rept. U. S. Nat. Mus., 74:663-664, 1900; type lo- cality Mobile, Alabama). Unfortunately no name is available for the western population. It may either be called Eumeces anthra- cinus pluvialis, or be given a new name, according to the ultimate (87) 88 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. decision on its consubspecificity with the southern population. I suggest retention of the name pluvialis at least until a more careful study indicates the necessity of further change. Eurycea lucifuga (Rafinesque) On October 21, 1945, E. W. Jameson, Jr., discovered a specimen of this species in a small cave situated in a park l 1 /^ miles south of Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas, on the north side of Shoal Creek, NW !/4 of Sec. 35, T. 35 S., R. 25 E. Later the same day Claude W. Hibbard and I returned to the same cave, and with the help of Jameson found two more specimens. All were found under stones in the twilight zone. Exploration of deeper recesses of the cave was impossible because the larger entrances to them had been closed off with cement to prevent children from entering. No water was run- ning from the cave at the time we were there, although there was visible evidence of a previous heavy flow of water, probably in times of heavy and prolonged rains. The only other salamanders found in the limited area available for exploration belonged to Eurycea longicauda melanopleura (Cope), a form considerably more abun- dant in the cave than E. lucifuga. This constitutes the first published record of the occurrence of E. lucifuga in Kansas. Previous records from Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, as well as a sight record by Taylor (Smith, Amer. Midi. Nat., 15:382-383, 1934) have indicated its probable occur- rence in Kansas. The largest specimen obtained is an adult male measuring 166 mm. in total length; it exceeds by 2 mm. the maximum previously known. The pattern and other characters of all specimens appear typical. The specimens are in the Museum of Natural History of the Uni- versity of Kansas. Hyla crucifer crucifer Wied In 1943 Bragg (Great Basin Nat,, 4:67, 1943) stated that Hyla crucifer crucifer has been recorded with certainty from only one county in Oklahoma, McCurtain County in the extreme southeastern part of the state. Reports of their call being heard in Le Flore County, immediately north of McCurtain County had also been transmitted to him. In Kansas the species is still known only from the northern half of the extreme eastern part of the state (Smith, Amer. Midi. Nat., Smith — Eumeces pluvialis 89 15:472, 1934). Between this area and southeastern Oklahoma no record of occurrence of the species has been available. An adult specimen taken by Dr. Joseph Tihen in the extreme southeastern corner of Delaware County, Oklahoma (Mus. Nat. Hist., Univ. Kans., No. 20827), thus provides a second definite lo- cality for the species in Oklahoma and suggests the probability that it ranges along the entire eastern border of both Kansas and Okla- homa. The specimen is in poor condition but enough of the pattern and some other features can be discerned to permit reliable identi- fication. □ 21-2765 The Tadpoles of Bufo cognatus Say BY HOBART M. SMITH University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 3, pp. 93-96, 1 figure in text August 15, 1946 a^ Zoology V N UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1046 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Donald S. Farner, Donald F. Hoffmeister Volume 1, No. 3, pp. 93-96 Published August 15, 1946 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1946 21-2764 The Tadpoles of Bufo cognatus Say By HOBART M. SMITH The tadpoles of this species have been described by Bragg (Copeia, 1936: 14-20, figs. 1-13; Amer. Midi. Nat., 18:273-284, figs. 1-5, 1937). The drawings and descriptions of the mouthparts, how- ever, appear to have been taken from dried, or immature, or trans- forming individuals, for they do not agree among themselves nor do they agree with larvae obtained in the field and now in the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas. At hand are two series of tadpoles of this species; one series was collected July 2, 1938, 1.5 miles east of Meade County State Park, Fig. 1. — Mouthparts of a tadpole of Bufo cognatus. Disk widely spread. Approximately X 45. Kansas, and the other lacks data. The second lot contains numerous sizes of tadpoles from 14 mm. to 31 mm., and several transforming specimens which clearly possess the pattern so typical of this species. Mouthparts in both series (consisting all told of about 200 speci- mens) are fairly constant except in the transforming and extremely young specimens. The accompanying figure shows them as seen with the mouth disk widely spread. The indentations at the corners of the mouth in the papillary fringe are more prominent when the mouthparts are less extended. The outer row of teeth of the lower labium is sometimes a little shorter or longer than the figure shows, but the average is about as indicated. The extent of the medial edge of the papillae on the lower labium varies somewhat; in some, (95) 9G University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. the papillae barely reach the level of the ends of the outer row of teeth, while in others they overlap the ends slightly. Measurements agree with those given by Bragg, except that ap- pearance of the hind legs occurs at about 15 mm.; the fore legs appear at about 28 mm. A pattern recognizably similar to that of the adult is evident at about 20 mm. These tadpoles show such a striking similarity to those referred by Wright, to Bafo compactilis Wiegmann (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 74:4, pi. 5, fig. 6, 1929) that their conspecificity is suggested. If on the other hand, the specimen figured by Wright is properly identified, then the two species must in reality be very closely related. A direct comparison of positively identified tadpoles of each species is much to be desired. □ 21-2764 Hybridization Between Two Species of Garter Snakes BY HOBART M. SMITH University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 4, pp. 97-100 August 15, 1946 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1946 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Donald S. Farner, Donald F. Hoffmeistn Volume 1, No. 4, pp. 97-100 Published August 15, 1946 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR. . STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1946 21-2763 M o ^> ^ Hybridization Between Two Species of Garter Snakes By HOBART M. SMITH The chief characters distinguishing Thamnophis radix (Baird and Girard) and T. marciana (Baird and Girard) in southern Kansas are: marcxana lateral light line involving only the 3d scale row anteriorly, dorsal light line without distinct edges, varying in width from less than 1 to nearly 3 scale rows, at various places on body, several anterior lateral spots fused across lateral light stripes. 2 posterior upper labials not light- centered, unlike others. A well -developed, white, black- edged crescent behind angle of jaws (postrictal crescent). radix 1. lateral light line involving rows 3 and 4 anteriorly. 2. dorsal light line with straight, even edges, IY2 scale rows wide. usually no anterior lateral spots fused across lateral light stripes. 2 posterior labials light-centered, like others. typically no well-developed post- rictal crescent. Typical specimens of radix are available from several localities in Morton County of southwestern Kansas (Spring Creek; twelve miles and eighteen miles north of Elkhart; Elkhart) ; from the State Lake and Meade in Meade County; from Hunters, Harper County; Coolidge, Hamilton County; and Ingalls, Gray County. Typical marciana is available from Spring Creek, Morton County ; Liberal, Seward County; and Clark County (no locality). An over- lap of range with radix is evident, and from Spring Creek in Morton County typical specimens of both species are available. Accordingly, at present, I conclude that the two forms are correctly regarded as distinct species. Yet there is a rather marked tendency of radix to approach the characters of marciana in southwestern Kansas. Two specimens (one from Morton County, one from Gray County) have the dorsal stripe slightly broken up by infiltration of the ground color onto the edges of the scales. All southwestern radix develop the distinct postrictal crescent so characteristic of marciana, and occasional specimens fail to have light centers in the last two labials. Finally, one specimen from Meade, Meade County (No. 5434), appears to be (99) 100 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. actually intermediate, and may be regarded as a hybrid. The mid- dorsal stripe is not sharp-edged; the lips are barred exactly as in marciana, the postrictal crescent is well defined, and the lateral light stripe extends onto the fourth scale row only very slightly. I refer the specimen to T. radix on the basis of the middorsal light stripe which still is not as irregular as in marciana, upon the nature of the lateral dark spots (not fused), and upon the slight extension of the lateral light stripe onto the fourth scale row. Yet the speci- men is definitely atypical of radix; no other of the 135 specimens examined deviates so strongly from the normal condition. Because the two kinds of garter snakes in question maintain their distinctness at other places where they occur on common ground, it seems best to interpret specimen No. 5434 as a hybrid rather than an intergrade. □ 21-2763 Selected Records of Reptiles and Amphibians from Kansas BY JOHN BREUKELMAN AND HOBART M. SMITH University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 5, pp. 101-112 August 15. 1946 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1946 University or Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural, History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Donald S. Farner, Donald F. Hoffmeister Volume 1, No. 5, pp. 101-112 Published August 15, 1946 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR. . STATE PRINTE.. TOPEKA. KANSAS 1 946 21-2762 Selected Records of Reptiles and Amphibians from Kansas By JOHN BKEUKELMAN AND HOBART M. SMITH Preparation of a handbook of reptiles and amphibians by the junior author has led to a survey of the collections of these animals at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia. Numerous locality records of interest and importance have been accumulated there through the efforts of the senior author and a number of his stu- dents, particularly Mr. Allen Downs. The more important records, including the first record for Kansas of Rana sylvatica, are reported here. We have not mentioned specimens that are from counties from which the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History al- ready has specimens. Specimens examined by Smith are indicated by an asterisk; those identified by the late Dr. F. N. Blanchard are indicated by an en- circled period (none of these specimens are now available). All other specimens here recorded have been examined either by the senior author or by Mr. Allen Downs, or by both. Specimen num- bers, unless otherwise indicated, are those of the Kansas State Teachers College collection. Triturus viridescens louisianensis (Wolterstorff), Newt. Cherokee Co.: 1 mile north and 4 miles east of Crestline (No. 164).* This is a terrestrial adult, and provides the second known locality for the species in the state. Ambystoma texanum (Matthes), Narrow-mouthed Salaman- der. — Lyon Co.: Emporia. Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium (Baird), Tiger Salamander. — Lyon Co.: (No. 292) ; 2 miles east of Americus. Ness Co.: Ness City (No. 591). Scaphiopus bombifrons Cope, Plains Spadefoot. — Ness Co.: 4 miles west, 1.5 miles north of Ness City (No. 592). Bufo americanus americanus (Holbrook), American Toad. — Chase Co.: 10 miles southwest of Saffordville. Cherokee Co.: 4 miles southeast of Columbus. Lyon Co.: 6 miles south of Plymouth (No. 290)*; Emporia (Nos. 442, 443).* The records from Chase and Lyon counties represent the westernmost localities for the species in Kansas. (103) 104 University of Kansas Publs.. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bufo cognatus Say, Great Plains Toad. — Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Ness City (No. 594) . Bufo woodhousii woodhousii (Girard), Rocky Mountain Toad. —Clark Co.: 11 miles south of Bucklin (No. 401).* Decatur Co.: Sappa Creek near Oberlin (2 spec).* Ford Co.: 5 miles southwest of Dodge City (1 spec.).* Lyon Co.: Emporia (No. 352).* Ness Co.: Ness City (Nos. 502-504, 595, 596)*; 4 miles west, 1.5 miles north of Ness City (No. 593).* Sheridan Co.: Sheridan County State Park (Nos. 565-568). Acris crepitans Baird. Northern Cricket Frog. — Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Ness City (Nos. 506, 507, 597- 606).* Pseudacris nigrita triseriata (Wied), Striped Chorus Frog. — Lyon Co.: 10 miles south of Plymouth; 3 miles north of Emporia (No. 300) ; 7 miles west of Olpe; 2 miles northeast of Emporia (Nos. 434-441).* Neosho Co.: 3 miles west of Erie. Hyla versicolor versicolor (LeConte), Common Tree Toad. — Chautauqua Co.: Elk City (No. 621). liana catesbeiana Shaw, Bullfrog. — Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Ness City (No. 607).* Wallace Co.: 3 miles east of Sharon Springs (1 spec.).* Rana pipiens brachycephala Cope, Leopard Frog. — Clark Co.: 11 miles south of Bucklin (Nos. 398-400).* Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Ness City (Nos. 505, 508, 509, 608).* Rana sylvatica cantabrigensis Baird, Wood Frog. — Lyon Co.: extreme southwestern corner, 3 miles east of Chase County line, be- tween the Verdigris River and the corner of the county (1 specimen, now Mus. Nat, Hist., Univ. Kans., No. 23149).* This specimen pro- vides for the first time a basis for inclusion of the species in the fauna of Kansas. It measures 50 mm. snout to vent; hind leg from vent 80 mm.; tibia 23 mm. The ratio of hind leg to snout-vent measure- ment is 0.625, and that of the tibia to snout-vent measurement is 2.17. Both figures are too high for Rana s. sylvatica, in which the former ratio varies between 0.53 and 0.62, the latter ratio between 1.6 and 1.88. The ratios agree well with those of R. s. cantabrigensis, in which the former ratio varies from 0.62 to 0.75, the latter from 1.93 to 2.3. Direct comparison of the specimen with typical examples of both subspecies substantiates its allocation to R. s. cantabrigensis. In the vicinity of Kansas, specimens of this species are known from Missouri (St. Louis and Stone Counties only) and northwestern Arkansas (Washington County: Winslow and Prairie Grove, Mus. Breukelman and Smith — Reptiles and Amphibians 105 Nat. Hist., Univ. Kans., Nos. 16526, 18820, 18823). Reexamination of these specimens confirms their identity as Rana sylvatica sylvatica to which the Missouri specimens from Stone County undoubtedly also belong. Accordingly this race is still to be anticipated in ex- treme southeastern Kansas. Reference of the (Specimen from Lyon County to Rana s. canta- brii/ensis presents a problem in distribution, for the race is not known from nearer Kansas than North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and southern Illinois, except for a record given by Cope (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 34:437, 1889) from "western Missouri." Hurter (Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sci., 20:123, 1911) restricts this record to Cooper County, and presumably verifies Cope's identification. Hurter, too, recognized the other form, R. syhratica, in Missouri (Marble Cave, Stone County). Cope distinguished between the two races (as they are now recognized) and recorded typical R. sylvatica from St. Louis. Accordingly the specimen from Cooper County may be considered properly identified racially. It apparently is from the locality nearest to Kansas at which the race has been taken. It seems highly probable that the Kansas occurrence, and pos- sibly those in Arkansas and Missouri also, is a relict one. It is highly improbable that the species has a continuous distribution in either state. A wider or more southern distribution in the past seems evident. The group to which it belongs certainly has had a more southern range, as indicated by Taylor's discovery in Meade County, Kansas (Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull., 28:217, 1942), of a fossil species of Rana (parvissinia) , from the Upper Pliocene, presumably related to sylvatica. It may or may not have been a direct ancestor of the living species. Microhyla olivacea (Hallowell), Northern Narrow-mouthed Toad. — Lyon Co.: 6 miles southwest of Emporia. Wilson Co.: 7 miles northeast of Fall River. Crotaphytus collaris collaris (Say), Collared Lizard. — Geary Co.: 4 miles south of Fort Riley. Wabaunsee Co.: 2 miles north- east of Alma. Holbrookia maculata maculata (Girard), Earless Lizard. — Chase Co.: 7 miles south of Saffordville (No. 350)*; 6 miles south- west of Saffordville; 1 mile south of Saffordville (No. 338)*; 10 miles southwest of Olpe. Hodgeman Co.: Jetmore. Lyon Co.: 5 miles south of Plymouth; 6 miles southeast of Emporia; 9 miles southwest of Emporia. Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1,5 miles north 106 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. of Ness City (Nos. 480, 481, 484-497, 609-611)*, 6 miles west and 0.5 miles south of Ness City (Nos. 482, 483, 498).* Sceloporus undulatus garmani Boulenger, Northern Plains Lizard. — Ellsworth Co.: Carneiro; 10 miles south of Ellsworth. McPherson Co.: 4 miles west of Roxbury (No. 133). Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Ness City (No. 479, 612).* Phrynosoma cornutum (Harlan), Texas Horned Lizard. — Ells- worth Co.: 10 miles south of Ellsworth. Lyon Co.: 1 mile south of Emporia; 8 miles southwest of Emporia. Saline Co.: Coronado Heights; 3 miles northwest of Lindsborg. Ophisaurus ventralis (Linnaeus), Glass-snake Lizard. — Lyon Co.: Emporia; 1 mile southwest of Emporia (No. 288).* Rooks Co.: 5 miles southwest of Stockton (No. 407).* Cnemidophorus sexlineatus (Linnaeus), Six-lined Racerunner. — Ellsworth Co.: Carneiro. Lyon Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Reading. Shawnee Co.: 5 miles east of Topeka (No. 14).* Leiolopisma laterale (Say), Brown Skink. — Labette Co.: 7 miles northwest of Mound Valley (No. 301).* Lyon Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Reading. Wilson Co.: 4 miles southwest of Coyville (No. 281).* Eumeces fasciatus (Linnaeus). Common Five-lined Skink. — Bourbon Co.: 1 mile north of Fulton. Chase Co.: 7 miles south- west of Saffordville ; 6 miles south of Clements; 2 miles south of Saffordville. Franklin Co.: 8 miles east of Ottawa; 2 miles south of Ottawa; 2 miles southwest of Lane; 4 miles east of Ottawa; 5 miles southwest of Ottawa. Labette Co.: 2 miles southwest of Dennis; 7 miles northwest of Mound Valley. Lyon Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Reading. Miami Co.: 2.5 miles south of Fontana. Montgomery Co.: 5 miles west of Independence. Neosho Co.: 4 miles northwest of Erie (No. 318).* Eumeces obsoletus (Baird and Girard), Sonoran Skink. — Cof- fey Co.: 4 miles south of Gridley (No. 467).* Ellsworth Co.: 10 miles south of Ellsworth. Franklin Co.: 2 miles south of Lane. Linn Co.: 0.5 miles north of Trading Post. Lyon Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Reading; 10 miles south of Plymouth; 2.5 miles north- east of Dunlap; 4 miles southwest of Bushong; Emporia (No. 433)*; Dunlap (No. 444).* McPherson Co.: 4 miles west of Lindsborg. Morris Co.: 5 miles east of Skiddy ; 1 mile east of Skiddy. Neosho Co.: 15 miles north of Parsons. Wilson Co.: 3 miles east of Buffalo. Eumeces septentrionalis septentrionalis (Baird), Northern Breukelman and Smith — Reptiles and Amphibians 107 Prairie Skink. — Chase Co.: 6 miles south of Clements; 1 mile south of Saff ordville ; 11 miles southwest of Olpe (No. 348). Diadophis punctatus arnyi (Kennicott), Prairie Ring-necked Snake. — Bourbon Co.: 1 mile north of Fulton. Chase Co.: 5 mile* southwest of Saffordville (No. 334)*; Elmdale (No. 146)*; 3 miles west of Bazaar. Franklin Co.: 2.5 miles southeast of Peoria; 2 miles south of Lane. Linn Co.: 0.5 miles north of Trading Post. Lyon Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Reading (Nos. 6, 372)* ; Emporia. Morris Co.: 5 miles south of Council Grove (Nos. 469-472). Neosho Co.: 4 miles northwest of Erie (No. 316).* Osage Co.: 8 miles southwest of Auburn. Shawnee Co.: 5 miles east of Topeka. Wa- baunsee Co.: 2 miles northeast of Alma. Wilson Co.: 3 miles east of Buffalo. Carphophis amoena vermis (Kennicott), Western Worm Snake. — Bourbon Co.: 6 miles northwest of Fort Scott. Chase Co.: 6 miles southwest of Cottonwood Falls (No. 365).* Geary Co.: 5 miles southwest of Wreford. Greenwood Co.: 4 miles northwest of La- mont (Nos. 516, 517).* Johnson Co.: 3 miles east of De Soto. Labette Co.: 9 miles northeast of Parsons (No. 313).* Linn Co.: 3.5 miles south of Pleasanton. Lyon Co.: 2 miles northeast of Reading; 5 miles northwest of Emporia. Neosho Co.: 4 miles north- west of Erie (No. 314).* Shaumee Co.: Wakarusa. Wilson Co.: 2 miles northwest of Neodesha (No. 322).* Heterodon contortrix contortrix (Linnaeus), Common Hog- nosed Snake. — Saline Co.: Coronado Heights; 3 miles northwest of Lindsborg. Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girard, Western Hog- nosed Snake. — Chautauqua Co.: Peru. Ness Co.: 6 miles west and 0.25 miles south of Ness City (No. 501)*; 5 miles northwest of Ness City (Nos. 619,620).* Rooks Co.: Stockton (No. 418). Scott Co.: Near Scott City (Nos. 511-513. 515).* Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Say), Blue Racer. — Butler Co.: 3 miles south of El Dorado. Chase Co.: 5 miles south of Saffordville (Nos. 4, 110, 122-129, 656, 657).* Chautauqua Co.: 1 mile south of Chautauqua (No. 375).* Geary Co.: 5 miles south- west of Wreford. Labette Co.: 7 miles northwest of Mound Valley (No. 356).* Lyon Co.: 5 miles northwest of Reading (No. 226)*; 2 miles west of Olpe (No. 341)* ; 5 miles northwest of Emporia (No. 397)* ; 17 miles southwest of Emporia (No. 655).* McPherson Co.: 4 miles west of Roxbury. Morris Co.: 4 miles west of Delavan. Neosho Co.: 4 miles northwest of Erie; 8 miles southeast of Chanute. 108 University of Kansas Publs.* Mus. Nat. Hist. Ness Co.: 5 miles northwest of Ness City (No. 617).* Wilson Co.: 3 miles east of Buffalo; 2 miles northwest of Neodesha; 7 miles northeast of Fall River. Masticophis flagellum flagellum (Shaw), Eastern Coachwhip. — Wilson Co.: 2 miles northwest of Neodesha (No. 302).* Elk Co.: 5: miles west of Grenola (No. 3).* Masticophis flagellum testaceous (Say), Western Coachwhip. — Ness Co.: 5 miles northwest of Ness City (No. 616).* Rooks Co.: Stockton (Nos. 411, 412).* Elaphe laeta laeta (Baird and Girard), Emory Rat Snake. — Chase Co.: 5 miles southwest of Saffordville (Nos. 117-120, 130, 326, 354)*; Wolf Creek; 2 miles northeast of Strong City (No. 366).* Coffey Co.: 7 miles east of Lebo. McPherson Co.: Lindsborg. Morris Co.: 10 miles south of Council Grove (No. 230).* Saline Co.: Salemsborg. Wilson Co.: 3 miles east of Buffalo (No. 161).* Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta (Say), Pilot Black Snake. — Atchison Co.: Atchison (No. 15).* Labette Co.: 4 miles north of Oswego (No. 320).* Lyon Co.: Emporia (Nos. 12, 374, 514)*; 5 miles northwest of Emporia (No. 337) ; 1.5 miles northwest of Reading (No. 634).* Morris Co.: 0.5 miles north of Wilsey. Neosho Co.: 4 miles northwest of Erie (Nos. 321, 359).* Wabaunsee Co.: 4 miles southwest of Alma. Wilson Co.: 7 miles northeast of Fall River. Pituophis catenifer sayi (Schlegel), Common Bull Snake. — Atchison Co.: Atchison. Chase Co.: 4 miles east of Elmdale; Toledo; 13 miles west of Emporia; Saffordville (No. 212).* Cherokee Co.: 4 miles southeast of Columbus. Coffey Co.: 6 miles west of Waverly. Ford Co.: Bucklin (No. 405).* Franklin Co.: 2 miles southwest of Lane. Hodgeman Co.: Jetmore. Jefferson Co.: 3 miles south of Norton ville. McPherson Co.: Lindsborg. Morris Co.: 3 miles southeast of Diamond Springs; 6 miles west of Council Grove; 4 miles west of Dwight; 3 miles north of Burdick; 3 miles east of Delavan. Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Ness City (Nos-. 499, 500, 615).* Rooks Co.: 5 miles southwest of Stockton (Nos. 409, 410).* Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster (Harlan), Yellow-bellied King Snake. — Butler Co.: U. S. Highway 54 near Greenwood County line. Coffey Co.: 13 miles east of Emporia. Franklin Co.: 5 miles southwest of Ottawa (No. 207).* Lyon Co.: 8 miles east of Emporia (No. 2)*; 3 miles east of Emporia; 3 miles southeast of Olpe; southwest of Emporia (No. 216) ; 6 miles south of Plymouth (No.- 22)*; 1.5 miles northwest of Reading (No. 633).* McPherson Breukelman and Smith — Reptiles and Amphibians 109 Co.: Western edge of Lindsborg. Osage Co.: 4 miles northeast of Overbrook. Lampropeltis getulus holbrooki (Stejneger), Speckled King Snake. — Chase Co.: 5 miles southwest of Saffordville (No. 109); 2 miles southwest of Elmdale (No. 363).* Hodgeman Co.: Jet-more. Lyon Co.: 5 miles east of Emporia; 4 miles southwest of Bushong (No. 200) .* Marion Co.: 4 miles east of Antelope (No. 10) .* Mor- ris Co.: 1 mile east of Skiddy. Woodson Co.: Lake Fegan (No. 626).* Wilson Co.: 3 miles east of Buffalo (No. 162).* Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis (Baird and Girard), West- ern Milk Snake. — Chase Co.: 5 miles southwest of Saffordville (Nos. 121, 131, 406). Gove Co.: Fair Grounds (No. 18). Greenwood Co.: 4 miles southwest of Lamont (No. 376)°; 6 miles south of Wilbur. Scott Co.: near Scott City (No. 510).* Lampropeltis triangulum syspila (Cope), Red Milk Snake. — Cherokee Co.: 3 miles east of Crestline (No. 559). Franklin Co.: 2 miles southwest of Lane (No. 174) ® Sonora episcopa (Kennicott), Great Plains Ground Snake. — Wilson Co.: 2 miles northwest of Neodesha (Nos. 303-305, 323- 325).* Natrix erythrogaster transversa (Hallowell), Yellow-bellied Water Snake. — Chase Co.: 6 miles south of Clements; 6 miles south- west of Saffordville; 3 miles east of Cottonwood Falls; 10 miles east of Matfield Green; 7 miles south of Plymouth (No. 287) ; Elmdale Hill, 0.5 miles east of Elmdale (No. 291)*; 10 miles southwest of Olpe (No. 343).* Lyon Co.: 9 miles south of Plymouth (No. 25) ; Emporia (No. 30)*; 5 miles northwest of Emporia (No. 67) ; 1 mile north of Hartford (No. 108)*; 7 miles southeast of Saffordville (No. 283). Natrix grahami (Baird and Girard I, Graham Water Snake. — Lyon Co.: Admire; 5 miles south of Plymouth (No. 19)*; 6 miles east of Emporia (No. 40)*; 0.5 miles north of Hartford (No. 85)*; 2 miles east of Emporia (No. 208)*; Emporia (No. 588).* Natrix rhombifera (Hallowell), Diamond-backed Water Snake. — Lyon Co.: 1 mile south of Emporia (Nos. 218-225)*; 8 miles northwest of Emporia (Nos. 28, 29, 240, 261)*; 2 miles southeast of Emporia (Nos. 32-35)*; 5 miles northwest of Reading. Natrix sipedon sipedon (Linnaeus), Common Water Snake. — Barber Co.: 8 miles west of Medicine Lodge. Bourbon Co.: 1 mile north of Fulton (No. 184).* Lyon Co.: 5 miles northeast of Em- poria (No. 5)*; 9 miles south of Plymouth (No. 23)*; 1 mile west 110 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. of Neosho Rapids; 2 miles southeast of Emporia (No. 142, 211)*; 9 miles northeast of Emporia (No. 41) ; 3 miles northwest of Emporia (No. 66) ; 8 miles northwest of Emporia (Nos. 75, 78, 241, 254, 272)*; 5 miles south of Hartford (No. 86) ; 1 mile north of Hartford (Nos. 91, 100) ; 7 miles southwest of Emporia (No. 116) ; Emporia (No. 239). Morris Co.: 3 miles southwest of Council Grove. Shawnee Co.: 4 miles east of Topeka (No. 31).* Haldea striatula (Linnaeus), Southern Ground Snake. — Chero- kee Co.: 3 miles east of Crestline (No. 317)*; 2 miles north of Baxter Springs; 1 mile north and 4 miles east of Crestline. Thamnophis radix radix (Baird and Girard), Plains Garter Snake. — Chase Co.: 5 miles southwest of Saffordville. Lyon Co.: Emporia (Nos. 209, 210)*; 1.5 miles northwest of Reading. Ness Co.: 5 miles northwest of Ness City (No. 618).* Thamnophis sauritus proximus (Say), Western Ribbon Snake. —Chase Co.: 1 mile south of Saffordville (No. 340).* Lyon Co.: 2 miles southeast of Emporia (No. 38)*; 5 miles northwest of Em- poria (Nos. 68-70)*; 12 miles southeast of Emporia (No. 215)*; 5 miles northwest of Reading (No. 229).* Wilson Co.: 3 miles east of Buffalo. Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis (Say). Red-sided Garter Snake. — Barber Co.: 8 miles north of Medicine Lodge. Dickinson Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Herington. Lyon Co.: 2.5 miles southeast of Emporia (No. 39)*; 1 mile northeast of Emporia (Nos. 43-48)*; 5 miles northwest of Emporia (No. 71)*; 8 miles northwest of Em- poria (No. 84).* Wabaunsee Co.: 2 miles northeast of Alma. Tropidoclonion lineatum (Hallowell), Lined Snake. — Chase Co.: Saffordville; 3 miles northeast of Bazaar. Labette Co.: 1 mile north of Montana (No. 362).* Lyon Co.: Emporia; 9 miles south and 5 miles west of Emporia. Marion Co.: 4 miles east of Antelope (No. 11).* Morris Co.: 3 miles east of Woodbine (Nos. 518-520).* Rooks Co.: 5 miles northwest of Stockton (Nos. 414, 415).* Tantilla gracilis Baird and Girard, Slender Tantilla. — Cherokee Co.: 3 miles east of Crestline (Nos. 540-5441. Geary Co.: 4 miles south of Fort Riley. Wilson Co.: 3 miles east of Buffalo; 7 miles northeast of Fall River; 2 miles northwest of Neodesha. Tantilla nigriceps nigriceps Kennicott, Great Plains Black- headed Snake. — Rooks Co.: 5 miles northwest of Stockton (No. 416) ; Stockton (No. 417). This is the northernmost known record for the species. Breukelman and Smith — Reptiles and Amphibians 111 Agkistrodon mokeson mokeson (Daudin), Southern Copper- head.— Atchison Co.: Atchison (Nos. 201, 202, 573, 578)*; 5 miles north of Atchison (No. 653).* Bourbon Co.: 6 miles northwest of Fort Scott (No. 294).* Cherokee Co.: 1 mile north and 4 miles east of Crestline (Nos. 165-170)*; 2 miles east of Riverton (No. 293).* Coffey Co.: 4 miles northeast of Burlington. Franklin Co.: 2 miles southwest of Lane (Nos. 187-192, 194).* Lyon Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Reading (No. 7).* Wabaunsee Co.: 2 miles northeast of Alma (No. 195).* Woodson Co.: Lake Fegan (Nos. 627,628,630-632,649).* Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus (Say), Western Massasauga. —Chase Co.: 5 miles southwest of Saffordville (Nos. 8, 26, 112, 113, 295)*; 3 miles southwest of Elko (No. 145)*; 11 miles northeast of Matfield Green (No. 231)*; 8 miles south of Clements; 2 miles southwest of Elmdale (No. 333) ; 10 miles southwest of Olpe (No. 344).* Lyon Co.: 10 miles south of Plymouth (Nos. 20, 121)*; 8 miles southwest of Emporia (No. 114)*; 5 miles northwest of Bushong (No. 353)*; 11 miles northeast of Emporia (No. 474). Wabaunsee Co.: Kansas State Highway 99 just north of Lyon County (No. 641).* Crotalus horridus horridus (Linnaeus). Timber Rattlesnake. — Atchison Co.: Atchison (Nos. 204-206)*; 5 miles north of Atchison (Nos. 642-652).* Crotalus viridis viridis (Rafinesque) , Prairie Rattlesnake. — Hodgeman Co.: Jetmore. Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille), Common Musk Turtle. — Cherokee Co.: 1 mile north and 4 miles east of Crestline (No. 171). Kinosternon flavescens flavescens (Agassiz), Yellow Mud Turtle. — Ford Co: Rattlesnake Creek 2 miles south of Bucklin (1 spec.).* Pratt Co.: 5 miles southeast of Pratt. Sheridan Co.: Sheridan County State Park (No. 569). Chelydra serpentina serpentina (Linnaeus). Common Snap- ping Turtle. — Chase Co.: 10 miles southwest of Olpe (No. 345) ; 3 miles east of Cottonwood Falls; 5 miles northeast of Strong City. Greenwood Co.: (1 spec.).* Lyon Co.: 1.5 miles northwest of Reading (No. 336); 5 miles south of Plymouth; 10 miles north of Emporia; Admire; 4 miles northwest of Olpe; Emporia. Sheridan Co.: State Lake; 7 miles northeast of Quint er. Terrapene ornata (Agassiz), Ornate Box Turtle. — Chase Co.: 14 miles southwest of Olpe ; 6 miles south of Clements ; 5 miles south- west of Saffordville. Coffey Co.: 4 miles south of Gridley (No. 112 University .of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. 468) * ; 1 mile west of Agricola (No. 638).* Ellsworth Co.: 10 miles south of Ellsworth. Greenwood Co.: (1 spec.).* Hodgeman Co.: Jetmore. Lyon Co.: 6 mile* south of Plymouth; 8 miles southwest of Emporia; 7 miles west of Olpe. Morris Co.: 5 miles northwest of Council Grove; 1 mile east of Skiddy; 5 miles south of Council Grove. Rice Co.: Sterling. Rooks Co.: Solomon River near Stock- ton (No. 408).* Terrapene triunguis (Agassiz), Carolina Box Turtle. — Coffey Co.: 1 mile west of Agricola (No. 637).* Chrysemys picta bellii (Gray), Painted Turtle. — Chase Co.: Kahola Creek, near Morris County line. Dickinson Co.: 1.5 miles north of Herington. Ford Co.: Rattlesnake Creek; 2 miles south of Bucklin (1 spec.).* Lyon Co.: 3 miles north of Emporia; 6 miles south of Plymouth. Ness Co.: 4 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Ness City (Nos. 613, 614).* Sheridan Co.: Sheridan County State Park (No. 570). Wilson Co.: 4 miles southeast of Buffalo. Wood- son Co.: Owl Creek north of Yates Center (1 spec.).* Pseudemys floridana hoyi (Agassiz), Toothed Turtle. — Green- wood Co.: Holmer Creek south of Hamilton on Kansas State High- way 99 (Mus. Nat. Hist.. Univ. Kans., No. 23148) .* This is the sec- ond published locality for the species in Kansas; it has previously been reported from a locality 5.5 miles northeast of Coyville, Wood- son County (Burt and Hoyle, Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci., 37:198, 1934). Pseudemys scripta elegans (Wied), Scribe Turtle. — Chase Co.: 7 miles southwest of Saffordville. Lyon Co.: 10 miles northwest of Emporia; 7 miles south of Plymouth. Amyda mutica (Le Sueur), Spineless Soft-shelled Turtle. — Mc- Pherson Co.: Lindsborg. Amyda spinifera spinifera (Le Sueur), Spiny Soft-shelled Tur- tle. — Chase Co.: 10 miles southwest of Olpe; 7 miles southwest of Saffordville (No. 351).* Lyon Co.: 5 miles east of Emporia. Ness Co.: 5.5 miles northwest of Ness. Sheridan Co.: State Lake; 7 miles northeast of Quinter. □ 21-2762 5 - N A - u Kyphosis and other Variations in Soft-shelled Turtles BY HOBART M. SMITH MUS. C08SP. ZOOL LIBRARY flAR -8 !• i: University of ^Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 6, pp. 117-124 July 7, 1947 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1947 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Dcnald S. Farner. Donald F. Hoffmeister Volume 1, No. 6, pp. 117-124 July 7. 1947 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1947 21-6301 MUS. COL?. ZQOL LIBRARY MAR -8 I960 Kyphosis and other Variations in Soft-shelled Turtles I HQBAKT M. SMITH Kyphotic (hump-backed) soft-shelled turtles have been known for many years in Asia and America. Gressitt (Peking Natural History Bulletin, 2 (pt. 4): 413-415, figs. 1-5, 1937)' has reviewed accounts of such turtles, and recorded the anomaly in Amyda sinen- sis (Wiegmann) and .4. steindachneri (Siebenrock) of Asia and in unidentified species in the United States. Records of kyphosis in American species apparently are few. Three skeletons in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History demonstrate occurrence of the condition in at least 3 Amer- ican species: Amyda emoryi (Agassiz), A. mutioa (Le Sueur) and .4. spinifera (Le Sueur). The specimen of A. emoryi (Catalog No. 2219) was taken at Phoenix, Maricopa Co., Arizona, by Victor H. Householder, on May 1. 1926. The second specimen, called to my attention by C. W. Hibbard, was taken in 1936 from the Kansas River at Lawrence, Douglas Co., Kansas, by Max Wheatley, to whom I am indebted for the accompanying photographs and per- mission to describe the specimen which he has added to the Mu- seum's collections (No. 23230). The identity of No. 23230 is es- tablished as A. mutica by the absence of spines (see fig. 3) and by a number of cranial characters. The specimen of A. spinifera (No. 23026) is without locality data; its identification is verified by the presence of spines on the front of the carapace. In the specimen of A. mutica (see figures) the hump forms a smooth, high curve, closely resembling the condition in Gressitt's specimens of A. steindachneri (op. cit.: fig. 1). In the other two the hump is lower and its apex forms a relatively sharp angle; in the specimen of .4. spinifera the posterior face of the hump is more nearly vertical than the anterior face. In A. emoryi the rear edge of the apex is sharply inclined (at an angle of about 45°), whereas the remainder of the surface slants at an angle of about 35°. In the accompanying table of measurements of specimens in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History the height is measured from the end of the rib opposite the highest elevation to the crest of the elevation, by projected lines. The length is mea- sured from the anterior border of the nuchal plate to the posterior edge of the last costal plate. The width is measured from tip to (119) 120 University of Kansas Publs., Mtjs. Nat. Hist. tip of the longest ribs. Catalogue numbers of the specimens, with indication of the localities of capture are as follows: Nos. 2215-9, 2803, 2824, 2837, Phoenix, Maricopa Co.. Arizona; Nos. 19459-60, Ozark. Franklin Co., Arkansas; Nos. 2225-9, Lewisville, Lafayette Co., Arkansas; Nos. 1867-70, 1874-6, 1879, 1881, 1930-1, 2666, 2761- 2, 2826, 2838-42, Devalls Bluff, Prairie Co., Arkansas; No. 16528, Orange Co., Florida; Nos. 1872, 1878, 1943, 1964, Doniphan Lake, Doniphan Co., Kansas; No. 2220, Douglas Co., Kansas; No. 23230, Kansas River, Douglas Co., Kansas; No. 18159. Harper Co., Kan- sas; No. 2757, Smoky Hill River, Trego Co., Kansas; No. 23026, no data. The three abnormal specimens vary in width/height ratio from 1.83 to 3.14. In the 37 normal turtles measured, the corresponding ratio is 4.64 to 7.85. The ratio of 4.64 is possibly subject to correc- tion since the shell tends to warp in some specimens, especially in those retaining the skin about the periphery of the shell. The warping does not produce' a marked convexity in transverse section, but does so in longitudinal section. Accordingly the height as here measured is little effected, and the comparison with width rather than length of shell provides for the lesser error from warping. There appears to be no close correlation of proportions with either size or sex. It is of interest that Arnyda ferox is the most distinctive in pro- portions of the carapace. Its carapace is longer in relation to its width than that of any of the other species. The average relative length of the carapace of A. emoryi is intermediate between that of A. ferox and the averages of ,4. spinijera and A. mutica, but the overlap in range with the latter two is complete. The cause for kyphotic anomalies is unknown. That it is ac- companied by a greater degree of growth in the vertebral column than in the periphery of the costal plates is obvious. There seems to be no well-established accommodation for the difference in growth, since the hump produced by it varies considerably in form. There is no trend from small to large specimens in size of the hump; large and small humps occur in both large and small speci- mens. Accordingly it seems that the humped condition is developed in the late embryo or early post-embryonic life, and does not later change. An apparently reasonable hypothesis is that the costal plates an- kylose distally with the ribs early enough in embryonic life so that anv differential in growth rate between them and the vertebral Smith — Soft-shelled Turtles 121 column is translated into abnormal contortions of the body. Agas- siz and others have shown that the costal plates normally do not fuse with the ribs by the time of hatching; the fusion then does not normally occur in the embryonic stage. Presumably, once fused, the costal plates and vertebral column normally have equal growth rates, since the height/width ratio does not change significantly with increased size. It is well known that fusion takes place in young specimens soon after hatching; in all skeletons examined of this genus, from the smallest (62 mm. in length) to the largest (295 mm.), the fusion has occurred. Therefore, the normal time of fu- sion must be approximately at the time of hatching. Although costal plates and the vertebral column grow in direct proportion to each other throughout life from a period shortly after hatching, the vertebral column apparently grows more rapidly than the costals shortly before and possibly also shortly after hatch- ing, at least in kyphotic and probably also in normal specimens. An exceptionally early date of fusion of costal plates and ribs would thus result in a kyphotic condition, and it may well be assumed that the earlier the fusion, the greater the hypertrophy would be. Whether or not this hypothesis correctly accounts for kyphosis in turtles can be ascertained only by further study. Stejneger (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 94: 12, 1944) regards the presence of 8 neurals as opposed to 7 as an important peculiarity of .4. mutica. The 42 specimens for which the number of neurals is recorded reveals, however, that there is greater variation than previously supposed: in 16 .4. mutica more than half (9) have 7 neurals and the remainder (7) have 8. Eight neurals were recorded also in 2 of 18 spinifera, and in 1 of 7 A. emoryi. Seven neurals are present in the single specimen of A. ferox examined. It is of interest also that the number of costals, which has been reported to be consistently 7 in New World species and 8 in Old World species, varies markedly. In New World specimens, one .4. mutica has 7 on one side, 8 on the other, and 8 occur on both sides of one other (of a total of 16 examined). One of twenty A. spinifera, and one of eight A. emoryi have 8; the single A. ferox (Schneider) has 7. Accordingly the suggestion by H. M. Smith (Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 23:19, 1939) that Platypeltis Baur be resurrected for the American soft-shelled turtles on the basis of the occurrence of only 7 costals, is untenable. The generic allocation of American soft-shelled turtles has varied considerablv in recent years: Smith (loc. cit.) uses Platypeltis; 122 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. Pope (Turtles of the United States and Canada, p. 343, 1939) uses Trionyx Geoffroy; and Stejneger (op. cit., p. 8) uses Amyda Gebf- froy. As stated above, use of Platypeltis at the present time is un- warranted, since no constant difference has been discovered that would support generic separation of Asiatic and American members of this group. New World turtles should be placed either in Tri- onyx or in Amyda, depending upon the interpretation of type desig- nation for the latter name. Malcolm Smith (Bull. Raffles Mus. 3:2, 1930) and others have considered that, as a part of the original de- scription, Geoffroy (Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat, Paris, 14:20, 1809) des- ignated the type species of his new generic name Trionyx as aegyp- ticus E. Geoffroy (= triunguis Forskal a well-recognized species). Stejneger argues that Geoffroy did not adequately designate a type from among the many species he treated in his genus Trionyx, and that it remained for Fitzinger (Syst. Rept., p. 30, 1843) to select one of these as a type; he chose coromandelicus Geoffroy, which is a synonym of granosa Schoppff, a species belonging to a different genus (as now recognized) from that to which triunguis belongs, although Geoffroy had made the mistake of considering both groups as members of his genus Trionyx. Now if Fitzinger's type designa- tion is accepted, the name Trionyx is to be applied to that group containing granosa (only one other form is known in the genus, and both forms occur only in India and Burma), whereas the name Amyda of Geoffroy {op. cit., p. 1) is applied to the genus (as now recognized) which includes triunguis and some 20 other species of Asia and North America. The type of Amyda is a typical member from Asia (cartilagineus Boddaert). On the other hand, if Geof- froy's type designation is accepted, the American forms (and the others of that genus) would take the generic name Trionyx, of which Amyda would be a synonym, and the genus to which granosa belongs would take the name Lissemys Malcolm Smith (Fauna Brit. India, Rept. Amph., 1:154, 1931). Stejneger discussed the various aspects of this problem (op. cit., pp. 6, 7), and I can add nothing to his discussion. His arguments for the acceptance of Fitzinger's type designation rather than that of Geoffroy are well founded upon the statement of the Interna- tional Rules of Zoological Nomenclature, while those of Smith arc not. In weighing these two alternatives, the practical value of maintenance of the "status quo" is not here important, for the whole system of nomenclature in this field is completely upset; any conclusive decision would be of great practical value and one al- S.m ith — Soft-shelled Turtles 123 ternative holds no special, practical advantage over the other. Ac- cordingly, it seems reasonable to consider the matter closed with Stejneger's analysis, retaining Amy da for the American and related species of soft-shelled turtles. That this assemblage contains nat- ural subgroups that may warrant subdivision into other genera is obvious, but to none of these will the name Trionyx be applicable. Table of Data on Amyda Species Number .Sex Width (mm.) Length (mm.) Ratio, width- Height (mm.) Ratio, width- Neurals Costals length height cmoryi 2219* 2215 2216 c? 81 62 1.30 34 2.38 7 8 7 7 11 104 88 1.18 18 5.77 7 ** 2217 2218 7 7 8 • t 106 93 1.14 21 5.04 7 • i 2803 9 150 132 1.13 28 5.35 7 7 1 ( 2824 9 204 198 1.03 32 6.37 7 7 *' 2837 19460 9 7 8 7 " 97 77 1.26 14 6.93 7 ferox 16528 9 282 295 0.99 53 5.32 7 7 tnutica 2841 9 99 75 1.32 16 6.18 7 7 * 4 23230* 101 78 1.29 55 1.83 7 7 ti 2838 9 106 79 1.34 17 6.23 7 7 " 1964 & 110 95 1.15 18 6.11 7 7 i i 2839 9 115 77 1.49 18 6.39 7 7 " 2840 9 115 85 1.35 17 6.76 8 7-8 • t 19459 131 106 1.23 20 6.55 7 7 1 1 2220 9 144 116 1.24 22 6.54 7 7 " 1874 162 137 1.18 32 5.06 7 7 ■ < 1930 9 180 138 1.30 33 5.45 8 7 • i 1875 • 181 164 1.10 39 4.64 8 8 1 1 1881 1868 9 8 7 7 " 185 167 1.10 39 4.74 7 " 1876 9 190 177 1.07 33 5.75 8 7 < i 1870 9 194 166 1.27 35 5.54 8 7 ' * 1943 98 76 1.29 18 5.44 ? 7 spin if era 1872 129 101 1.27 17 7.59 7 7 • t 1931 & 148 102 1.45 26 5.69 7 7 " 18159 9 151 129 1.17 26 5.80 ? 7 i * 1878 9 163 132 1.23 25 6.52 8 7 ■ * 2225 9 165 131 1.17 21 7.85 7 7 . " 23026* 9 170 133 1.27 54 3.14 7 7 .. 2227 9 191 175 1.09 39 4.89 7 7 • • 2228 1867 9 L96 207 167 164 1.17 1.26 7 7 7 n 26 7.58 7 " 2757 213 196 1.08 30 7.10 7 8 * ' 2229 215 178 1.20 28 6.78 7 7 ' ' 2762 9 219 184 1.19 40 5.47 7 7 1 1 1879 223 187 1.19 38 5.87 7 7 ■ i 2761 9 233 182 1.28 43 5.41 7 7 1 4 2666 234 208 1.12 42 5. .57 8 7 1 1 2226 9 239 215 1.11 38 6.29 7 7 " 1869 245 211 1.16 44 5.55 7 7 " 2842 245 219 1.12 45 5.44 7 7 41 2826 9 245 237 1.03 45 5.44 7 7 * Kyphotic University of Kansas, Museum Kansas. of Natural History, Lawrence, 124 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. Figs. 1-3. Amyda mutica, Univ. Kans., Mus. Nat. Hist., No. 23230, Law- rence, Kansas. All views approximately half natural size. 1, Frontal view. 2, Lateral view. 3, Dorsal view. □ *C -5 19 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PRAIRIE VOLE (Mammalian Genus Microtus) BY E. W. JAMESON, Jr. University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 7, pp. 125-151 October 6, 1947 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1947 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman; Donald S. Farner, H. H. Lane, Edward H. Taylor Volume 1, No. 7, pp. 125-151 October 6, 1947 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1947 21-6957 /j^* Zoolo,:. vpEC -5 I Natural History of the Prairie Vole (Mammalian Genus Microtus) By E. W. JAMESON, JR. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction 128 Methods 130 Molt 131 Food and Habitat 132 Types of cover 132 Cuttings 133 Food caches 134 Plants used as food and as cover 135 Associates 137 Nest and Burrows 137 External Parasites 138 Fleas (Siphonaptera) 139 Lice (Anoplura) 141 Mites (Acari except Ixodoidea) 142 Ticks (Ixodoidea) 143 Reproduction 144 Age classes 144 Fecundity 144 Size of litters 146 The breeding season 147 Summary 149 Literature Cited 150 (127) INTRODUCTION The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) at Lawrence, Kansas, is approximately 5^ inches in length, of which the tail comprises l 1 /^ inches, and weighs approximately l 1 /^ ounces. The color on the dorsum is dark gray with a grizzled appearance from the mixture of black and fulvous on the long hairs; the venter is paler, sometimes pale fulvous or cinnamon. The animal is compactly built much as are the other microtine rodents. The short legs and short tail, small eyes and partly hidden ears, and heavy and flattened head all sug- gest its semifossorial mode of life. The prairie vole spends most of its time in an elaborate system of tunnels (some entirely below the ground) and in almost hidden galleries in the dense grass. Microtus ochrogaster can be separated from other voles in its geographic range by a combination of several characters. The plan- tar tubercles usually number five, although a few individuals with six tubercles were found at Lawrence, Kansas. Microtus pennsylvanicus, normally with six plantar tubercles, as Bole and Moulthrop (1942: 156) pointed out, sometimes has only five. Therefore, the number of plantar tubercles alone is not a certain means for separating pennsylvanicus from ochrogaster. The color of the venter of ochro- gaster is usually fulvous or cinnamon instead of grayish as in penn- sylvanicus, but there is variation in this respect too; some prairie voles also have a grayish venter. The shorter tail of ochrogaster will assist in establishing its identity where it occurs with pennsyl- vanicus. The third upper molar has two closed triangles in ochro- gaster and usually three in pennsylvanicus. The pelage of ochro- gaster is coarse whereas pennsylvanicus has fine fur. Prairie voles may be separated from pine mice (Pitymys nemoralis and P. pine- torum) with which they are sometimes found, by the larger eyes, less rusty color, and longer tail. The Cooper lemming mouse (Syn- aptomys cooperi) differs from the prairie vole in having the upper incisors grooved, and in possessing a shorter tail which approximates the hind foot in length. Of Microtus ochrogaster from Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, average measurements of twenty-five adult males are: total length, 143 (121-167) mm.; tail, 32 (25-42) mm.; hind feet, 20 (17-22) mm.; weight, 43 (38-55) grams. Twenty-five adult females from the same place average: total length, 150 (131-170) mm.; tail, 33 (31-41) mm.; hind foot, 19 (17-21) mm.; weight, 45 (38-58) grams. (128) Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 129 The prairie vole is found in suitable habitats in the central part of North America. It has been recorded from Edmonton, Alberta, in the northwest (Bailey, 1900:76), southeastward to Chesapeake, Ohio (Bole and Moulthrop, op. cit. : 156), and in the southwest as far as Ft. Reno, Oklahoma (Bailey, op. ci£.:74). See figure 1 showing the known range of Microtus ochrogaster. Microtus ludovicianus, a close relative of ochrogaster, has been taken along the southern part of the boundary between Texas and Louisiana (Lowery, 1943:247). The activities of voles, especially those of the genus Microtus, at- tracted the attention of naturalists even in early times. Aristotle (translated by Thompson, 1910) wrote: "The rate of propagation of field mice in country places, and the destruction that they cause, Figure 1. Range of the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster). are all beyond telling. In many places their number is so incalcul- able that but very little of the corn-crop is left to the farmer; and so rapid is their mode of proceeding that sometimes a small farmer will one day observe that it is time for reaping, and on the follow- ing morning, when he takes his reapers afield, he finds his entire crop devoured. Their disappearance is unaccountable: in a few days not a mouse will be there to be seen." Several early naturalists in this country commented on the fluctu- ations in numbers of individuals, and on the breeding and feeding habits of voles. Kennicott (1857) in an agricultural report on the mammals of Illinois wrote about the breeding of the prairie vole. He described its stores of plants and commented on the behavior of some captives. Quick and Butler (1885) discussed the habits of 130 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Microtus ochrogaster as well as those of M . pennsylv aniens, Pitymys pinetorum, and Synaptomys cooperi in Indiana, and described the feeding and breeding habits of these species. Criddle (1926) gave an account of the feeding and breeding habits of Microtus ochrogaster in Manitoba, and Fisher (1945) published a short description of the food and reproduction of the same species as he observed it in Mis- souri. Stone investigated the fauna in the nests of this vole in the same state, but has not yet, as of March, 1946, published his findings. METHODS The information in the present account was obtained by observing animals in the field, and by examining trapped animals that were brought into the laboratory. Five hundred individuals were caught in snap-traps, and forty additional voles that were marked were cap- tured a total of 157 times. More than 90 per cent of the specimens were trapped at Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, but voles were examined also in Ellsworth, Atchison, and Jefferson counties, Kan- sas, and in Douglas County, Illinois. My data pertain to Microtus ochrogaster in the above named areas from October, 1945, until August, 1946. The findings may not be typical of this species in other areas and in other years. The museum special traps were used both with and without bait. The bait consisted of a piece of walnut meat on the treadle. By placing the trap crosswise in the runway, voles were captured whether or not the treadle was baited. Immediately upon removal from the trap, each vole was placed in a white flannel sack, one sack sufficing for several voles when necessary. In this way the loss of ectoparasites was kept to a minimum. The fleas were counted, and the numbers of lice and mites were estimated; some specimens of ectoparasites were saved for identification. The voles taken in live traps were marked and released. The marking was done by cutting off one or more toes in such a manner that the vole could later be identified. From left to right, the toes were assigned numbers from one to five on the left hind foot, and by tens from ten to fifty on the right hind foot. Number 33, therefore, was assigned to the one vole of which the middle toe of each hind foot had been cut off. Each time an animal was captured alive, it was weighed, specimens of fleas, lice and mites were preserved, and the external appearance of the reproductive organs was noted. The extent of the molt line, if the vole was molting, was recorded. Cor- responding data were kept for each dead vole caught in a snap trap. Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 131 Assistance is acknowledged from Professors E. Raymond Hall, A. Byron Leonard, Worthie H. Horr, and Donald F. Hoffmeister; and I have had also much helpful advice from Professors W. J. Hamilton, Jr., and P. C. Stone. MOLT The skins of 44 molting prairie voles were pinned out flat. The flesh sides clearly show the areas of molt. Various stages in the molt process were observed also in animals caught in live traps. The molt begins when the animal is three or four weeks old; at this time the juvenal pelage is replaced by the subadult pelage. The second molt occurs when the prairie vole is between eight and twelve weeks old, and is the means by which the adult pelage replaces the sub- adult pelage. These same two molts were found by Hatfield (1935) to occur in captive Microtus californicus. Molting voles of the species ochrogaster were trapped in each month of the year. The molting processes of juveniles and subadults follow the same pattern. The first area of molting is in the pectoral region. The molt patch extends caudad toward the tail and cephalad toward the chin. New pelage separates this area of active molt into two strips on the fourth or fifth day. By this time each strip has spread laterad to the legs and sides, and is 10 to 20 mm. wide. Ultimately each strip unites with its opposite, usually at the center of the dorsum. This area of molt then spreads cephalad and caudad. Fourteen to fifteen days after the beginning of the molt, the entire dorsum is in process of being covered with new pelage. Shortly before the com- pletion of the molt, the dorsal area of molt divides into two patches, one on the rump and one on the nape. The areas last to be covered with new pelage are the crown and that between the ears and the eyes. A slight variation in the above process occurred in some specimens in which the lateral strips joined immediately cephalad of the tail instead of at the center of the dorsum. The entire process takes approximately three weeks. Large voles (45 grams or more) grow hair in irregular patches that measured 5 to 15 mm. In these large voles the molt is accom- plished slowly and does not cover large areas of the body at any one time. The small areas of molt are visible for 7 to 10 days, and were found on approximately three quarters of the large voles examined. 132 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist FOOD AND HABITAT The diet of the prairie vole reflects both its environment and its choice of food. The plants eaten are usually green and succulent, but some dry, hard seeds and small stems of woody plants are also eaten. The vegetation, which supplies the food for the vole, is im- portant as cover or nesting material. For this reason food and habitat are discussed together. Types of Cover Prairie voles inhabit areas where the dominant plants in summer are clover or grasses or both. The lawn on the campus at the Uni- versity of Kansas consists mostly of several kinds of grasses, but in some places alfalfa (Medicago sativa) replaces clover {Trifolium sp.), and in other places sedges (Scirpus spp.) are found in addition to the grasses. The grass is short; it is mowed to a length of 4 to 6 inches. Bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and crabgrass (Digitaria ischae- mum) form most of the sod. Bluejoint (Andropogon furcatus) is common in a sparsely wooded part of the campus, an area which has many voles. Foxtail (Setaria lutescens and S. viridis) and prairie threeawn (Aristida oligantha) are also common on the lawn, but these become dry in late summer, and at that time supply neither food nor cover for the voles. The voles make well-beaten depres- sions in the sod, and the grass arches over them to form canopies. In the winter, when the snow flattened the grass on the campus so that there were no longer protective canopies of blades over the runways of the voles, they migrated into areas of Japanese honey- suckle (Lonicera japonica). At this season the honeysuckle was their main food. In areas where this vine was not available, the voles abandoned their surface runways and remained below the ground, coming to the surface only under the protection of a blanket of snow. The voles returned to the grass and clover habitat in March and April in 1946. One pure stand of Ladino clover in Jefferson County, Kansas, was studied in late November and early December of 1945. The clover was 2 to 4 inches high, and although it was the sole food of the voles, it furnishes but little cover. They were common here; 300 traps yielded 111 voles in two nights. Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 133 Cuttings The voles seek particularly the tender heads of grasses and the terminal leaves of sweet clover (Melilotus alba). To obtain these parts, the voles begin by cutting through the base of the plant. The surrounding plants are often near enough to support the freshly cut piece in an upright position. The vole makes successive cuttings, 40 or 50 millimeters from the ground, until the desired parts of the plant are within reach. The cuttings that have accumulated at the base of the plant may be eaten, but frequently they remain as evi- dence of the vole's feeding activity. On May 12, 1946, an analysis was made of the cuttings found in an area of alfalfa, grasses, and weeds. From table 1 it may be seen that quackgrass, alfalfa, wild lettuce, and cleavers were common. In three nights 70 traps caught 8 prairie voles and 3 deer mice; no pine mice or cotton rats were caught on the area. The stomachs of the voles and the deer mice were examined, and only the stomachs of the voles contained green material. Analysis of the cuttings (see table 2) indicates that alfalfa was eaten in greater quantity than any other plant; it made up almost three quarters of the cuttings al- though but one quarter of the cover. All other plants occurred less commonly in the piles of cuttings than they did in the estimated composition of the cover. Grasses and wild lettuce were next to alfalfa in importance. Table 1. — The Relative Abundance of Plants in an Area of Alfalfa, Grasses, and Weeds * Percentage by number Species of plants Quackgrass (Agropyron repens) 30 Speargrass (Poa annua) 1 California brome (Bromus carinatus) 1 Smooth brome (Bromus inermis) 1 Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) 25 Peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum) 2 Cleavers (Galium aparinc) 15 Wild lettuce (Lactuca- scariola) 25 Table 2. — Composition of Ten Piles of Cuttings Species Agropyron repens 1 Poa annua Bromus carinatus Bromus inermis Medicago sativa 40 Lepidium densiflorum ... Galium aparine Lactuca scariola, 6 * Analysis made on May 12, 1946, on an area 20 x 80 yards, at Lawrence, Kansas. * Each of the first ten vertical columns gives the composition of one pile of cuttings. The last column gives the percentage of occurrence in the piles of cuttings of each species of plant in the area. Place and date for data in table 2 same as for table 1. Frequency of Ten pili ?s of cuttings occurrence 2 6 19 4 13 00 10 04 00 14 30 30 31 5 21 4 73 00 1 1 01 2 1 2 5 2 4 09 134 University of Kansas Publs., Mrs. Nat. Hist. Approximately one out of every ten voles caught in snap traps had a piece of plant in its mouth. Occasionally a vole took a piece of food into a live trap. Evidently the food is not always eaten where it is procured. Grasses of the genus Poa are the kinds most fre- quently found in the mouths of dead voles. Bromus carinatus, B. inermis and sweet clover (Melilotus alba) were found in the runways. The pulpy fruit of the horse nettle (Solarium carolinense) was found partly eaten, especially near the entrances to underground passages. Food Caches Caches of seeds and underground parts of plants are stored in sub- terranean chambers. One lot of food was found stored on the surface of the ground. Four times, piles of seeds in runways indicated the species of plants which the voles were storing. One underground cache was found on May 27, 1946, on the Uni- versity campus, by John Evans, Richard Edgar, and the writer. This cache was in a large chamber in a tunnel system of the prairie vole, on an east-facing hillside of walnut trees, catalpas, and Ken- tucky coffee trees. The oval chamber was 250 mm. wide, 400 mm. long, and 200 mm. high. The roof, at its highest point, was 30 mm. below the surface of the ground. There were two entrances to the cavity, both on the downhill side. The cache consisted of eight quarts of seeds (approximately 2,800) of the Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladm dioica). The seeds were packed with earth and all were well preserved. The site of this cache was in an area which was shaded by a small coffee tree. A seed of this tree is spheroidal, measures 17 mm. in width, and weighs 2 grams. Several times in the fall of 1945, in the above-mentioned grove, the writer found pods of the coffee tree lying in the runs of the voles. These pods were sometimes entire, but more often they had been gnawed; frequently only part of a pod remained, indicating that the voles were storing or feeding upon the seeds, although the possibility that the mice were storing food did not occur to the writer at the time. Three times, seeds of other plants were found piled at the entrances of the burrows of voles. Twice these piles consisted of from 50 to 70 seeds of the common dandelion [Taraxacum officinale). The third pile was composed of 20 seeds of the giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) . A pasture of Canadian bluegrass (Poa compressa) , wild millet (Echinochloa crusgalli) , sedges (Scirpus spp.), and clover (Tri- folium sp.) in Atchison County, Kansas, was examined in Novem- Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 135 ber, 1945. This area was the home of a dense population of prairie voles. Wherever a path of the voles crossed a deep imprint of a horse's hoof, there was a collection of cuttings from the horizontal stems of the clover which bordered the runways. Some of the cut- tings may have been made by lemming mice (Synaptomys cooperi) which were also common in the area. Several kinds of voles store food. Bailey (1920) wrote of the caches of Microtus pennsylv aniens in North Dakota, where, in one locality, this vole was known as the bean mouse. He stated that the Indians dug up beans (Falcata comosa) and the tubers of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) which the voles had stored. Lantz (1907:17) found a cache of the roots of wild morn- ing glory (Convolvulus septum) laid away by Microtus pennsyl- vanicus. Nelson (1893:140) wrote that, as winter approached, Microtus operarius gathered small bulbous roots, sometimes storing a peck or more in a single cavity. Fisher (1945) in Missouri found a gallon of the fruits of the horse nettle (Solarium carolinense) stored in a hollow stump by the prairie vole. Kennicott (1857:99) found five or six quarts of roots of two species of spike-flower (Liatrus), Helianthus, and various grasses among the winter provi- sions of the prairie vole in Illinois. Plants Used as Food and as Cover Table 3 lists, according to their families, the species of plants which the prairie vole was observed to use for food. The same species are sometimes used as cover. The majority of the plants are in three families: the grass family (Graminae), the pulse family (Leguminosae), and the composite family (Compositae). The grasses that supply the voles' food and cover are mostly Poa (the bluegrasses) and Bromus (bromegrass, chess, or cheat). Poa pratensis is a common lawn and pasture grass, P. annua is a weed species. The bluegrasses begin to grow in late winter about Law- rence, Kansas, and they remain green until late in the fall. During this time, the voles eat the blades and heads of bluegrass, and make their runways under the culms. The prairie voles utilize several species of Bromus. Bromus inermis and B. carinatus are important range and pasture grasses, but japonicus is a weed of little or no economic value. These are soft, tender grasses, but, in contrast to the bluegrasses, they become dry in midsummer, and are then un- suitable as food. However, they continue to form a protection over the runways of the voles. 136 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. The legumes, which appeared to be most important to the prairie vole, are clover {Trifolium spp. and Melilotus alba) and alfalfa {Medicago sativa) . These plants are common in both cultivated and feral states. They form a different type of cover from that made by grasses. Voles, living in clover and alfalfa, do not make run- ways as distinct as they do in grasslands. The clover and alfalfa plants are branched and of a spreading growth form, whereas the grasses have leaves which are appressed to the main stem. The in- dividual grass plants grow close together, and a vole cannot run through grass without trampling some of it. As voles use the same paths repeatedly, the grass in their runs becomes flattened and dies. There is sufficient room between the stems of the clover and alfalfa plants to allow the voles to pass through without treading on the stems. In such a habitat, vole runways are poorly developed, and are difficult to find. Voles in grasslands feed in runways, as at- tested by the piles of cuttings found in the runways and the nibbled grass which borders them. Voles in clover or alfalfa feed at the bases of the plants wherever the plants may grow. In the latter type of cover the cuttings are rather evenly distributed. Compositae formed a minor part of the cover in most of the habi- tats studied. Many grasslands have a stand of dandelions; sow thistle, wild lettuce, and ragweed were also common in some grass- lands. The voles ate the leaves and sometimes the seeds and under- ground parts of these plants. Table 3. Plants Used for Food by the Prairie Vole Graminae Solanaceae Poa annua Solanum carolinense P. compressa Boraginaceae P. pratensis ~ ,. Bromus inermis Gahum a P anne B. carinatus Caprifoliaceae B. japonicus Lonicera japonica Andropogon. furcatus Agropyron repens Compositae Setaria lutescens Loctuca scariola S. viridis Sonchus arvensis T • Ambrosia trifida Leguminosae A. artemsiifolia Mehlotus alba Taraxacum officinale Medicago sativa Trifolium spp. Gymnocladus dioica Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 137 ASSOCIATES In the mixed areas of grassland and clover that were described above, the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) , the deer mouse {Pero- myscus maniculatus) , and the little short-tailed shrew (Cryptotis parva) were commonly caught in the runways of the prairie vole. Less frequently trapped were the common mole (Scalopus aquati- cus), the large short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) , the Cooper lemming mouse [Synaptomys cooperi) , the pine mouse (Pitymys nemoralis), and the harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis). In the dense growth of Japanese honeysuckle, the prairie vole shared runways with the white-footed mouse {Peromyscus leucopus), the large short-tailed shrew, and the pine mouse. NEST AND BURROWS The prairie vole makes a tortuous network of paths through the grass and honeycombs the topsoil with its tunnels. The underground passages lead to nests or to chambers where food is sometimes stored. The runways through the grass are 40 to 50 mm. wide, and usually lie slightly below the surface of the ground. By using the same path repeatedly, the voles create little ruts in which they run. The bottom of the runways are bare soil or are covered with only a thin layer of trampled grass. Cotton rats, on the other hand, apparently do not use their runs over long periods, for they are not well-beaten runways, but are made merely by parting the grass and not by trampling it down or cutting it off. Voles were trapped in runways of the cotton rats, but no cotton rat was caught in a typical runway of a vole. The burrows of the prairie vole are 40 to 50 mm. in diameter, and the shallowest part is usually 50 to 100 mm. below the surface of the ground. Burrows leading to nests or food chambers may descend deeper than the others. Some prairie voles were trapped in tunnels of the common mole (Scalopus aquaticus). The voles make their own burrows, and are especially active at this task when a hard rain has loosened the previously hard, dry soil. The rain in the first two weeks of October, 1945, made the soil much more friable than it had been at the beginning of the month, and the voles took advantage of the favorable opportunity to construct many new burrows. In Oc- tober, particles of soil were packed beneath the toenails of many specimens. In this time fifteen nests were found. They were 6 to 18 inches below the surface of the ground, and two tunnels led from each nest 138 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. to the surface runway. The nest cavities were spheroidal, and measured 150 to 200 mm. horizontally, and 80 to 100 mm. vertically. The floors were slightly concave and were covered with loose dirt and a mixture of dried grass and one or two leaves. The remainder of the cavity was filled with the dry grass of which the nest was composed. Criddle (1926) stated that at Treesbank, Manitoba, this vole makes its nests in the burrow systems of the pocket gopher {Thomomys talpoid.es) ; and Kennicott (1857:98) found nests of the prairie vole in old ant hills. Each of two nests that had been recently occupied was placed in a Berlese funnel, and in this way the arthropod fauna of the nests was collected. The most common arthropods in the nests were mites (parasitic, predaceous, and free-living) and springtails. Sowbugs, centipedes, spiders, and fleas were also present.. Of these arthropods, the laelaptid mites, one kind of tick, and one kind of flea have a direct relationship with the vole. These parasites are the same species which are found on the vole itself. The mites were Eulaelaps stabularis (Koch) and Atricholaelaps glasgoivi (Ewing). One adult tick, Ixodes sculptus Newman, was in one nest. The fleas, about a dozen in each nest, were Ctenophthalmus pscudagyrtes Baker, the flea most frequently found on the prairie vole. EXTERNAL PARASITES The pelage of prairie voles, pine mice, deer mice, and shrews forms a habitat for many kinds of parasitic arthropods. The fleas, lice, and mites from the prairie vole were collected, counted, and identi- fied. The ectoparasites from the other small mammals living in the same habitat as the prairie vole were also considered. Some ecto- parasites begin to leave the host when it dies, and any counts of ectoparasites made from snap-trapped voles may fall short of the number which was on the animal when it was alive. The average number of fleas recorded from live voles exceeds that found on snap- trapped voles (see table 4). The numbers of lice and mites were estimated, but selected voles were examined to obtain absolute num- bers of these kinds of ectoparasites. The fleas, lice, and mites were mounted on one inch by three inch glass slides; the ticks were preserved in 70 per cent alcohol. Dr. E. W. Baker identified the mites; Dr. R. A. Cooley and Dr. Glen M. Kohls, the ticks; Dr. G. W. Wharton, the chiggers; and Dr. Gordon F. Ferris, the lice. To each of these gentlemen I am grateful. The fleas were identified by myself. Jameson — Natural History of Prairif. Vole 139 Fleas (Siphonaptera) The information on the average numbers of fleas on voles was ob- tained from live-trapped and some snap-trappd voles. Fleas were counted only on voles which were removed from the traps within twenty-four hours after the traps had been last examined. The average numbers of fleas found on prairie voles in this study are given in table 4. Table 4. Average Numbers, of Fleas on Prairie Voles* Subadults Adults Live-trapped voles 1.9 (73) 3.4 (29) Snap-trapped voles 1.1 (26) 1.3 (27) * The fleas on the live-trapped voles are all Cten&phthalmius pseudagyrtes Baker, and those on snap-trapped voles represent several species (see table 2). The numbers in paren- theses are the numbers of voles examined. Table 5 shows the average degree of infestation for ten months of an eleven month period. The monthly averages for the most part show no variations. The latter half of February provides an ex- ception in that a series of 22 snap-trapped voles and 11 live-trapped voles taken at that time had on the average, 9.7 and 5.3 fleas re- spectively. Pine mice (Pity my s nemoralis) occurred in small num- bers in the area where Microtus ochrogaster was live-trapped, and Ctenophthalmus pseudagyrtes was the flea found to be common on both of these voles. Table 5. — Monthly Averages of Fleas on Prairie Voles Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. .6 5.1 5* .... 3 1.8 1.4 1.7 .... 1.1 2 2 (6) (11) (6) .... (6) (88) (26) (6) .... (8) (14) (2) * This figure is high because one vole had the high number of 19 fleas. The numbers in parentheses show the number of live voles examined for each month. All fleas were Cteno- phthalmus pseudagyrtes Baker. Some fleas have a habitat preference as well as a host specificity. As voles from different areas were examined, different kinds of fleas were encountered. A population of free-living voles under observa- tion on the Campus at Lawrence was parasitized only by Ctenoph- thalmus pseudagyrtes. From 90 prairie voles collected in a field of clover 4 miles northwest of Lawrence, the only species of flea recovered was Orchopeas leucopus. In both places the prairie vole was the most common mammal, but in the field of clover three deer mice (P. maniculatus) also were trapped. In a third field, one mile west of Lawrence, the prairie vole was host to both the above men- tioned fleas. Here both the prairie vole and the cotton rate [Sigmo- don hispidus) were common. 140 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. The host distribution of fleas on seven small mammals which lived in the same habitats as the prairie vole is given in table 6. Table 6. — Frequency of Occurrence of Fleas on Seven Species of Small Mammals* v. s -2 '■ b a ~ £ 5 c p. a a -a ft | § g .5 § I S * I I 5 § i •§ s S § g g §i £ ? p s & ?» s> et o eq Qn a, &s < a, Orchopeas leucopus (Baker) 53 31 37 6 10 Orchopeas houmrdii (Baker) = O. wickhami (Baker) 1 Nosopsyllus fascia tus (Bosc) 1 Epitedia wenmanni (Rothschild) 9 2 Rectofrontia fraterna (Baker) 1 Corrodopsylla hamiltoni (Traub) 47 8 Ctenophthalmus pseudagyrtes Baker, 38 4 25 53 Peromyscopsylla scotti I. Fox 6 Total number examined 34 13 34 35 57 414 21 * The numbers represent the percentage of each species which was parasitized by fleas. The mammals were collected at Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, between October, 1945, and June, 1946. These data are entirely from snap-trapped animals with the exception of those from Microtias and Pitymys which are from both snap-trapped and live-trapped animals. It is seen that some fleas are rather specific in their choice of hosts, and that others are commonly found on two or more small mammals in the same habitat. In each of these groups there are fleas which have a habitat preference, that is to say, the flea lives on the host when the host lives in a given habitat, but is absent when the host- lives in another habitat. Group 1: Fleas with a Host Preference Epitedia wenmanni was found on the white-footed mouse {Pcro- myscus leucopus) and only rarely on the prairie vole. Corrodop- sylla hamiltoni was taken only from the two kinds of shrews (Blarina brevicauda and Cryptotis parva). Fleas on shrews may have a well-developed host preference. At any rate, Elton, Baker, Ford, and Gardner (1931) found that Doratopsylla dasyenemus rarely strayed from its normal host (Sorex araneus) to other small mammals. Peromyscopsylla scotti was taken from the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), and had a habitat preference also. It was found only on those white-footed mice which were trapped in the woodlands at various places in Douglas County; white-footed mice which were trapped in areas of brush were free of this parasite. Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 141 Group 2: Fleas Commonly Found on Two or More Kinds of Small Mammals Orchopeas leucopus was an outstanding example of this group. It was the most common flea on the deer mouse, the white-footed mouse, and the cotton rat. In certain areas it was common on the two voles (Pitymys nemoralis and Microtus ochrogaster) . Cteno- phthalmus pseudagyrtes is the most abundant flea on the two kinds of voles and on the large shrew (Blarina brevicauda) , and was found sparingly on the cotton rat. Several kinds of fleas do not belong in either of the above groups. Some fleas were accidental strays from mammals not included in table 6; and one flea {Rectofrontia fraterna) may prove to be a com- mon nest parasite. Orchopeas howardii is common on tree squirrels (Sciurus niger and S. carolinensis) . Nosopsyllus fasciatus is a cos- mopolitan flea on Rattus norvegicus. Rectofrontia fratema was taken once from a prairie vole. Since the only specimens in the Uni- versity of Kansas Entomological Collections are from "mouse nests," this flea may be found to be a nest inhabiting parasite. Some fleas are possible bridges by which a blood parasite could be transmitted from one kind of a mammal to another. If Ctenoph- thalmus pseudagyrtes acted as the intermediate host of a disease- causing organism, an epizootic from Microtus ochrogaster might be transmitted to Pitymys nemoralis or to Sigmodon hispidus or Blarina brevicauda. There are several other such potential bridges for blood parasites. Although table 6 does not prove that individual fleas wander from one host to another, the frequency with which the sev- eral kinds of fleas are removed from live mice suggests that the fleas occasionally do so. Lice (Anoplura) Lice collected from the prairie vole were all of one species, Hop- lopleura acanthopus (Burmeister) . Of 59 voles examined for the presence of lice, 33 were found to be parasitized; the 59 voles had an average of 3.4 lice each. Other mice which used the same run- ways as the prairie vole had their own species of Anoplura. The cotton rat was host to Hoplopleura hirsuta Ferris, and the two species of Peromyscus were parasitized by Hoplopleura hespero- mydis (Osborn). The writer collected Hoplopleura acanthopus from Microtus cali- jornicus at Calaveras Dam, Almeda County, California, and from M. pennsylvanicus at Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York. Elton, 142 University of Kansas Publs., Mxis. Nat. Hist. Ford, Baker, and Gardner (1931) recorded this same species from M. argestis in England. Lice on the prairie vole are the same species as those found on other species of Microtus in other areas, but since Anoplura of the prairie vole do not parasitize the cotton rat, the white-footed mouse, and the deer mouse, this host specificity of lice makes it unlikely that lice would carry blood parasites from the prairie vole to any of the latter named rodents. Mites (Acarina except Ixodoidea) Many of the small mammals examined in this study had mites, some of which were collected and identified. Mites were collected from other species of voles in several localities in the United States and in one locality in Canada ; as voles in widely separated regions are sometimes hosts to the same species of mites, these records will be presented here. The frequency of some kinds of mites in the identified material suggests that they are more abundant than other kinds. The occur- rence of mites on small mammals from Lawrence, Kansas, is pre- sented in table 7. The following comments can be made concerning the specificity and geographic ranges of several species of mites: Liponyssus occidentalis Ewing was found only on Cryptotis parva. Eulaelaps stabularis (Koch) was one of the more common kinds found on the prairie vole. This mite is rather large (about 1 mm. long) and is frequently (with the following species) seen running through the pelage of its host. In addition to the records for this species in table 1, it was found to be a common parasite on Pitymys pinetorum at Point Abino, Welland County, Ontario. Elton, Ford, Baker and Gardner (1931) found this same mite on Apodemus sylvaticus and Clethrionomys glareolus in England. Atricholaclaps glasgowi, like the preceding species, was one of the commoner mites on the prairie vole. It was found also on Pitymys pinetorum at Point Abino, Welland County, Ontario; on Microtus pennsylv aniens at Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York; and on M. californicus at Calaveras Dam, Almeda County, California. Atricholaclaps sigmodoni occurred only on the cotton rat. Laelaps kochi was less commonly found than Eulaelaps stabu- laris and Atricholaclaps glasgowi. In Kansas the prairie vole and the cotton rat were hosts to Laelaps kochi, and it occurred on Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 143 Microtus pennsylvanicus at Ithaca, New York, and on M. cali- jornicus at Berkeley, California. Trombiculidae are commonly known by their larvae which are called chiggers or harvest mites. The white-footed mouse, the cot- ton rat, and the prairie vole were parasitized at Lawrence. In the winter these mites live in the ears of these small mammals, but in the summer they were found both in the ears and on the rump. Those obtained in winter were Ascoschongastia brevipes (Ewing) ; other species may be involved. Listrophoridae was represented on the prairie vole by a species of Myocoptes and a species of Listrophorus. These mites cling to the hairs of their host, and do not occur on the skin of the voles. No evidence was seen that mites had any ill effect on the health of their hosts. No voles had scabs on the skin; and the ears were not swollen and disfigured as they sometimes are by chiggers. Al- though the identity of a specimen of mite could not be determined until it was mounted, a person could tell whether or not it was one of the larger, very active Laelaptidae, one of the hair-clinging Listrophoridae, or one of the tiny, orange Trombiculidae. On July 12, 1946, three prairie voles were examined to determine the number of mites they supported. The voles were freshly caught, no one of them having been dead for more than five minutes before they were examined. These three voles had an average of 25 Laelaptidae, 22 Listrophoridae, and 53 Trombiculidae. Six species of mites (Ixodoidea excepted) were found on the prairie vole. Four of these were collected also from other small mammals living in the same habitat as this vole. Two species of mites were found to occur on voles in New York, Kansas, and Cali- fornia. Ticks (Ixodoidea) Two kinds of ticks were found. One adult specimen of Ixodes sculptus Neumann was clinging to the head of a vole, just in front of its eye. This species of tick was taken also from the thirteen- lined ground squirrel (Citelhis tridecimlineaus) at Lawrence. One nymph of Dermacentor variabilis (Say) was found attached to the scapular region of a prairie vole. Both of these specimens were taken in June. 144 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Table 7. Host Distribution of Mites on Seven Small Mammals* c ec 3 s ec ■S c c ^ -* rs O ft s V. j ft •5 v. •c ^ <~ c s cr > •a P. 5 s c c CO t a; ft, c tz, o Ascoschongastia brevipes (Ewing) . . . Liponyssus occident-alis Ewing Eulaelaps stabularis (Koch) Atricholaelaps glasgowi (Ewing) .... Atricholaelaps sigmodoni Strandtmann Laelaps kochi Oudemans Myocoptes sp Listrophorus sp X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X * These data are from material collected at Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas. REPRODUCTION Age Classes Each prairie vole was assigned to one of three age classes (juvenile, subadult, or adult) principally on the basis of weight, but partly on the quality and color of the pelage. The three age classes are char- acterized in table 8. Table 8. Characters of Juvenile, Subadult, and Adult Prairie Voles Juvenile Less than 21 grams Weight usually less than 20 grams Entire pelage dull Dorsal color black Subadult 21-38 grams Average weight 30-32 grams Pelage of rump dull; rest of pelage glossy Dorsal color grizzled except on rump Adult 38 grams or more Average weight 40-45 grams Pelage usually entirely glossy (rump sometimes dull) Entire dorsal color grizzled except sometimes on rump Fecundity Hamilton (1941:4) found for Microtus pennsylv aniens that mac- roscopic tubules of the cauda epididymis were an indication of fecundity. By noting the size of the tubules (whether macroscopic or not) and by making smears from them in approximately every 25th male caught, I found that the presence of sperm was positively correlated with large-sized tubules of the cauda epididymis in Micro- tus ochrogaster. Inferentially, males with sperm were fecund. There is a relationship almost positive between the size of the tubules of the cauda epididymis and the length of the testes. Testes Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 145 longer than 7 mm. have macroscopic tubules in the cauda, and in testes shorter than 7 mm. these tubules cannot be seen with the naked eye. Hamilton (1937b) found that in M. pennsylvanicus > 100 90 80 70 60 50 o 40 B o> o £ 30 o a m °- 20 10 \ ^uL ""•? Oct Nov. Dec Jan 1945 1946 Feb Mac Apr May June July Aug Figure 2. Fecundity of Prairie Voles by Months. Adults and Subadults are Considered Together. Z 7 « E = 6 E .£ 5 - 4 it * 3 _L _L Oct. Nov Dec 1945 Jan 1946 Feb Mar Apr. May June July Aug. Figure 3. Seasonal Changes in the Length of Testes. 146 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. testes smaller than 8x4 mm. did not contain sperm. The testes of the prairie vole descend into the scrotum in the breeding season. In the two winter months, when the voles did not bring forth young, the testes decreased in size (see figure 3) and were withdrawn into the body cavity. The presence of the testes in the body cavity does not mean that a vole is not in breeding condition, for many speci- mens with abdominal testes were fecund. The females were considered to be fecund if they were gravid, or if there were placental scars in the horns of the uteri. Size of Litters The number of mammae characteristic of a species of vole may be a rough guide to the average size of a litter for that species. The prairie vole has fewer mammae (three pairs) than some other voles in North America, and might, therefore, be expected to have smaller litters. Fifty-eight gravid females of Microtus ochrogaster examined by me had an average of 3.4 embryos each; the number of embryos ranged from one to seven. Hamilton (1936a) gave 5.07 as the average number of young per litter in M. pennsylvanicus. Hatfield (1935) stated that M. californicus has an average of 5.7 young in a litter. Both pennsylvanicus and californicus normally have four pairs of mammae. The expectation as to the size of the litter seems to be realized. In the prairie vole one pair of mammae is pectoral and two pairs are abdominal. Usually a lactating vole showed evidence of only the abdominal mammae having been in use. The size of litters was found to vary with the season of the year (see table 9). Gravid females were collected in every breeding month except September. Table 9. Average Size of Litters of Microtus ochrogaster by Months* Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2.8 3.9 3.2 3.4 3.1 2.8 3.0 ... 3.2 2.6 .. (4) (10) (6) (8) (9) (5) (2) ... (5) (5) .. * These months are from October, 1945, until August, li)46. The numbers in parentheses indicate the number of gravid females collected each month. Table 9 shows that the prairie vole produced the largest litters in March. A comparison of table 2 with figure 2 shows that the largest litters were produced at the height of the breeding season. Baker and Ransom (1933), studying Microtus agrestis, also found that larger litters were characteristic of the height of the breeding season; and that at the beginning and at the end of the breeding season the litters averaged smaller. Jameson — Natural History of Prairie Vole 147 The size of litters varied also with the age of the female. To place a gravid female in its proper age class, the weight of the embryos was subtracted from the total weight, and the remaining weight was used as the body weight. The average size of the litters of 14 sub- adults was 2.9, and in 35 adults it was 3.4. Hatfield (op. cit.) found that the younger females of M. californicas gave birth to smaller litters than did the adults. Not included in either of the above analyses are nine gravid females collected in November in a pasture watered by an artesian spring in Atchison County, Kansas. In this pasture there was a high concentration of prairie voles, and the percentage of fecundity was much higher than in Douglas County at the same time. In November only 29 per cent of the female prairie voles in Douglas County were fecund, as against 59 per cent in Atchison County. The average number of embryos of these nine voles was 4.1. Data from Atchison County are not included in table 9. The Breeding Season In October, 1945, when this study was begun, the prairie vole was bringing forth young. In the winter of 1945-'46 at Lawrence, Kan- sas, there was a cessation of reproduction. The reproductive activity was measured in terms of the fecundity of the subadults and the adults of both sexes. Figure 2 suggests that the decline was most marked in December and January ; no gravid females were collected in these two months, although two females trapped in the first week of December were lactating. In October, November, and December, 85 per cent of the breeding females were adults. In October, 85 per cent of the adult females were fecund, and in November, this figure was 80 per cent. Reproduction at this season, in the females, it appears, was largely a function of the adults. The proportion of adults to the rest of the population was calculated for each month ; and the monthly changes in relative numbers of adults is shown in figure 4. In November, December, and January there was a scarcity of adult voles in the population. The autumnal decline in repro- duction occurred simultaneously with the disappearance of these adults, and is thought to have been largely a result of it. Reproductive activity began in February; and in this month one- third of the females contained embryos, and 90 per cent of the males were fecund. Reproduction reached its height in March when fecun- dity for the females and males was 77 per cent and 100 per cent respectively. In April both sexes showed signs of being less pro- 148 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. ductive, and still later in the spring the percentage of fecundity re- mained at slightly over 65 for both sexes, this figure being higher for the males than for the females for any one month. From Jan- uary to February there was a 30 per cent increase in the percentage of adults in the population; and for this period, there was a 33 per cent increase in the fecundity of both males and females. In Feb- ruary, 80 per cent of the fecund females were adults. The breeding in the late winter, as in the fall, is thought to depend upon the per- centage of adults in the population. Hamilton (1937b) noted a 100 90 80 70 * n \ nAR -4 THE POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT OF TWO BROODS OF GREAT HORNED OWLS (Bubo virginianus) KY DONALD F. HOFFMEISTER AND HENRY W. SETZER University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 8, pp. 157-173 October 6, 1947 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1947 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Donald S. Farner, H. H. Lane, Edward H. Taylor Volume 1, No. 8, pp. 157-173 October 6, 1947 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED Bf FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1947 1-6958 IAR -4 ■ The Postnatal Development of Two Broods of Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) By DONALD F. HOFFMEISTER AND HENRY W. SETZER Opportunity regularly to observe at the nest the development of young Great Horned Owls, Bvbo virginianus (Gmelin), under favorable conditions, was afforded when a pair nested and reared their three offspring in 1945 and one offspring in 1946 on the vine- covered north wall of the Museum of Natural History at the Uni- versity of Kansas. The observations here reported are based pri- marily on the three young raised in 1945 when daily observations were made. These have been supplemented by other observations made of the one nestling in 1946. Unless otherwise stated, obser- vations pertain to the nest and three young in 1945. NEST SITE In 1945 the nest was situated on a metal-covered cement ledge, two feet wide and 48 feet above the ground, at the northeast corner of the Museum Building. The nest was protected on the east by a stone abutment of the building and on the south by the north wall of the building itself. Here the nest could be observed at will through a laboratory window without disturbing the birds. The taking of notes was begun at the time of egg-laying and extended to the time at which the young left the nest, February 3 through April 26, 1945. In 1946 the owls nested farther down the north side of the building, behind two cement pillars, approximately 25 feet above the ground. To examine the nest in 1946 it was neces- sary to lower an observer down the side of the building by means of a rope. Observations of this nest were never made more fre- quently than every other day. The adult owls were first seen at the nest on February 3, 1946; careful examination of the nest be- gan when the one egg hatched on March 7 and continued until April 25, shortly before the young owl left the nest. One large cottonwood tree, used by the parent-owls as a landing place whenever they were forced from the nest, was situated ap- proximately 110 feet to the north and a five-story building was located 80 feet farther to the north. Numerous smaller trees line (159) 160 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. the street to the east and there are some on the lawns around the Museum. Also, there are about two acres of trees 225 feet west of the nest-site where the parent-owls took refuge when forced from the cottonwood tree. The nest, if it can be called a nest, was no more than a few bare branches of the Virginia creeper, which covers the side of the build- ing, together with some excrement which the owls tended to push to the periphery of the nest. For most of the time the three eggs in 1945 lay directly on the metal which covered the ledge, because there was no definite floor to the nest. The single egg in 1946 lay on the cement shelf between the pillars and the wall of the building. This laxity in nest building by Great Horned Owls apparently is not uncommon (see Bent, 1938:300). PERIOD OF INCUBATION Incubation of the eggs probably began, in 1945, on February 5, the day the first egg was laid. It has usually been assumed that, in birds of prey, incubation begins when the first egg is laid. The last of the three eggs was laid February 7. In 1946, the single egg was being incubated on February 4. Since another egg had been laid two or three days before this — a broken egg was found beneath the nest and there were remnants of the egg in the nest — incuba- tion may have started as early as February 1 or February 2. In comparing these dates of initial incubation with other recorded dates of nesting, only those from places at, or near, the latitude of Lawrence, Kansas, in the central United States, should be ex- pected to be approximately the same since the times of egg-laying and incubation are progressively later in the year as approach is made toward the polar region. Baumgartner (1938:279) has pre- viously pointed this out. The incubation period for the Great Horned Owl in the central United States has usually been regarded as 28 to 29 days. In the nest under observation in 1945, two eggs hatched on March 12 and are assumed to be the first two eggs laid, with an incubation period for each of 35 and 34 days, respectively, and the third egg hatched on March 14 with an incubation period of 35 days. In 1946, the single egg hatched on the 33rd day, assuming that incubation began on February 2, for the egg hatched March 7. In the period of egg- laying and also in incubation, the parent bird in 1945 was fre- quently disturbed by persons who peered at it through the window. Curious observers handled the eggs at least once and vigorous HOFFMEISTER AND SETZER — GREAT HORNED OwLS 161 pounding by carpenters in the room adjacent to the nest frequently flushed the adult bird but did not cause desertion of the nest. It may be that such disturbances prolonged the incubation period. However, in 1946, the brooding birds were undisturbed, yet the in- cubation period was nearly as long. If an observer near the nest exposed himself in the daytime to the incubating bird, the adult flew, but exposure at 50 feet or more from the nest only caused the incubating bird to remain alert on the nest. When flushed, the parent usually returned to the nest within 15 minutes or less after the observer withdrew. On the thirty-second and thirty-third days of incubation in 1945, the crew of carpenters demolished partitions within the building on which the owl was nesting, and within 15 feet of the nest itself. At first the adult would fly from the nest at each outburst of hammering and, at one time, remained away from the nest for more than two hours. After a few hours of inter- mittent hammering, however, the parent bird remained on the nest despite all the noise produced. These observations bear out, rather than refute, Baumgartner's statement (1938:281) that "the horned owl incubates very closely," for a strong stimulus was necessary to keep the owl from covering the eggs. The egg hatched on March 14, 1945, and approximately two days later than the. other two, is judged to be the one laid last. This owl, III, was always 5 to 21 per cent lighter in weight than the older birds when weights for corresponding ages were compared. Whether this difference was the result of a lack of food because of dominance of the two older birds, or because of a sexual difference, we do not know. The owl that hatched in 1946 was likewise markedly lighter than the first two birds hatched in 1945 (figure 1). A series of adults from Meade County, southwestern Kansas, shows a pro- nounced secondary sexual difference in weight. In this sample the mean weight of 17 males, 1,208 grams, was 21 per cent less than that of 25 females, 1,531 grams. GROWTH OF JUVENILES The principal measurement of growth taken by us was the weight of the owls. In 1945 each of the three owls was weighed daily, with two or three exceptions when a 48-hour period was interposed be- tween weighings. The young were removed from the nest to a nearby balance, weighed, and examined. The owl last hatched (owl III) was weighed on the first day of life and on most subse- quent days. The other two owls (designated as owls I and II) 162 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. were first weighed when they were between 53 and 60 hours old. On some days the birds were weighed twice, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon; on most days, they were weighed only in the late afternoon. The owl hatched in 1946 was weighed when seven days old and at irregular, but usually two day, intervals thereafter. It was weighed always slightly before midday. The growth of the four owls is well shown by the changes in weight recorded in figure 1. For the period during which the young owls remained at the nest, growth can be divided into two ,o m O 5 10 6 20 25 30 35 40 45 , ,. days of age, respectively ; the third owl is about 2 days younger in each instance. Fig. 4. Young Great Homed Owl hatched in 1946. The two lower pictures show the developing facial mask. Photographs by Joao Moojen. HOFFMELSTER AND SETZER — GREAT HORNED OWLS 173 21 days 21 days Fig. 5. Young Great Horned Owl hatched in 1946. Upper row: Ventral views showing scar of volk sac and ventral side of wing. Middle row: Ventral (left) and dorsal view of wing at 21 days. Bottom row: Ventral (left) and dorsal view of wing at 47 days. Photographs by Joao Moojen. 21-6958 S^ N A - L Additions to the List of the Birds of Louisiana BY GEORGE H. LOWERY, JR. LIBRARY 1AR -8 i9! ! HARVARB University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 9, pp. 177-192 November 7, 1947 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1947 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, H. H. Lane Edward H. Taylor Volume 1, No. 9, pp. 177-192 Published November 7, 1947 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND, JR., STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1947 21-6959 1AR -8 !«• i Additions to the List of the Birds of Louisiana By GEORGE H. LOWERY, JR. Oberholser's "Bird Life of Louisiana" (La. Dept. Conserv. Bull. 28, 1938), was a notable contribution to the ornithology of the Gulf Coast region and the lower Mississippi Valley, for it gave not only a complete distributional synopsis of every species and subspecies of bird then known to occur in Louisiana but also nearly every rec- ord of a Louisiana bird up to 1938. However, at the time of the appearance of this publication, one of the most active periods in Louisiana ornithology was just then beginning. The bird collection in the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoology had been started only the year before, and the first comprehensive field work since the time of Beyer, Kohn, Kopman, and Allison, two decades before, was still in its initial stage. Since 1938 the Museum of Zo- ology has acquired more specimens of birds from Louisiana than were collected there in all of the years prior to that time. Many parts of the state have been studied where no previous work at all had been done. Also in the last eight years some capable ornithologists have visited the state as students at Louisiana State University, and each has contributed greatly to the mass of new data now avail- able. Despite the excellence of Oberholser's compilation of records, it is, therefore, not surprising that even at this early date twenty- four additions can be made to the list of birds known from Louisi- ana. Furthermore, this recently acquired information permits the emendation of the recorded status of scores of species, each pre- viously ascribed to the state on the basis of comparatively meager data. The plan is to publish eventually a revision of the birds of Lou- isiana which will incorporate all of the new information, but the projected scope of this work is such that many years may elapse before it is finished. The present paper is intended to record only the more pertinent additions, particularly records that may be sig- nificant in connection with the preparation of the fifth edition of the American Ornithologists' Union's "Check-list of North American Birds." There are numerous species for which Oberholser cited only a few records, but of which we now have many records and (179) 180 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. large series of specimens. If, in such instances, the treatment given in the fourth edition of the American Ornithologists' Union's Check-list would not be materially affected, I have omitted men- tion of the new material in this paper. I am indebted to a number of ornithologists who have presented their notes on Louisiana birds to the Museum of Zoology and who have done much to supplement its collections. Outstanding among these are Thomas R. Howell, Robert J. Newman, Sam M. Ray, Robert E. Tucker, Harold E. Wallace, and the late Austin W. Bur- dick. Their efforts in behalf of the Museum have been untiring. I am grateful also to Thomas D. Burleigh and Jas. Hy. Bruns, both of whom have played an integral part in our field activities in recent years and without whose help much less would have been accom- plished. John S. Campbell, Ambrose Daigre, James Nelson Gowan- loch, Sara Elizabeth Hewes, E. A. Mcllhenny, Edouard Morgan, and George L. Tiebout, Jr., have generously contributed notes and specimens which are duly attributed in the following text. For as- sistance in taxonomic problems, or for the loan of comparative ma- terial, I wish to thank John W. Aldrich, Herbert Friedmann, How- ard K. Gloyd, Alden H. Miller, Harry C. Oberholser, James L. Peters, Karl P. Schmidt, George M. Sutton, J. Van Tyne, and Al- exander Wetmore. Sula sula sula (Linnaeus), Red-footed Booby An immature individual of this species came aboard a boat of the Louisiana Department of Conservation near the mouth of Bayou Scofield, 7 miles below Buras, Plaquemines Parish, on November 1, 1940. It was captured by J. N. McConnell, who delivered it to James Nelson Gowanloch of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The bird was then turned over to me in the flesh for preparation and deposit in the Louisiana State University Museum of Zool- ogy. It has since been examined by James L. Peters and Alexander Wetmore, who confirmed the identification. This is the first specimen of the species obtained in the United States. The only other record of its occurrence in this country is that of individuals observed near Micco, Brevard County, Florida, on February 12, 1895 (Bangs, Auk, 19, 1902: 395-396). To eliminate possible confusion in the literature, attention is called here to the fact that the above-listed specimen was erroneously recorded by an anonymous writer (La. Conserv. Rev., 10, Fall Issue, 1940: 12) as a Gannet, Moms bassanus (Lin- naeus). Butorides virescens virescens (Linnaeus), Eastern Green Heron No winter records for the occurrence of this species were available to Ober- holser in 1938, the latest date cited by him being October 27. Recently, how- ever, it has been noted several times in winter on the coast of Louisiana. Kilby and Croker (Aud. Mag., 42, 1940: 117) observed it at the mouth of Lowery — Birds of Louisiana 181 the Mississippi River, near Pilot Town, on December 25, 1939, and Burleigh and I each obtained a specimen at Cameron on December 13, 1940. Another was shot by me at the same place on February 2, 1946. The species is there- fore of casual occurrence in the state in winter. Dichromanassa rufescens (Gmelin), Reddish Egret Although previously reported only as a casual summer visitor along the coast, the Reddish Egret is known now to occur regularly in small numbers during the winter. Since Oberholser (op. cit., 56) cited only one specific record of occurrence in the state, all additional records are listed here. On East Timbalier Island, one to three were seen daily, August 16-19, 1940, and two to five were seen daily, November 15-17, 1940. In Cameron Parish, the species has been noted as follows (Lowery, et al.) : two on December 14, 1940; one on January 3, 1943; three on September 3 and two on November 4, 1944; one on April 29, 1945. Several specimens were collected. Plegadis falcinellus falcinellus (Linnaeus), Eastern Glossy Ibis Plegadis mexicana (Gmelin), White-faced Glossy Ibis Considerable confusion exists concerning the specific identity of the glossy ibises inhabiting Louisiana. The fourth edition of the A. O. U. Check-list (1931: 33) stated that falcinellus "breeds rarely and locally in central Florida and probably in Louisiana." In 1932, Holt visited the marshes of Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana where he studied the ibises nesting in a large rookery. Later he definitely stated (Auk, 50, 1933: 351-352) that the birds seen by him were Eastern Glossy Ibises (Plegadis falcinellus). It was doubtless Holt's identification that influenced Oberholser to list falcinellus as a fairly common local resident in the state (op. cit., 78). This, however, is contrary to the evidence at my disposal. My associates and I have studied thousands of glossy ibises in the marshes of southwestern Louisiana in the past ten years. These observations include numerous field trips into the re- gion where ibises are plentiful throughout the year, especially during the breeding season. I have also visited a large nesting rookery in Cameron Parish, the only one in the state known to me, and the one which I have every reason to believe is the same colony visited by Holt in 1932. Although Holt identified as falcinellus the birds seen by him at a nesting rookery in Cameron Parish, I have never seen that species anywhere in Louisiana except at Grand Isle, 150 miles east of Cameron, as henceforth noted. In winter when the White-faced Glossy Ibis lacks the white on its face, some difficulty might be encountered in differentiating that species from the Eastern Glossy Ibis. The perplexing thing, however, is that Holt made his observations in the nesting season when no possible confusion should exist; also he was in the middle of a nesting rookery with birds close at hand on all sides. This fact notwithstanding, the ibis nesting in the Cameron Parish rookery (known locally as "The Burn") on May 28, 1942, was the white- faced species (Plegadis mexicana), as evidenced by moving pictures taken by J. Harvey Roberts and by specimens of varying ages collected at the same time by me. In all, the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoology has 19 specimens of mexicana taken in Cameron Parish in April, May, November, December, and January. Field records are available also for the months of February, March, July, and September. 182 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Aside from Holt's statement, Oberholser had only five other records for falcinellus in Louisiana, one being a market specimen with incomplete data and therefore of questionable scientific value. The remaining four specimens were taken by E. R. Pike near the mouth of the Mississippi River on Novem- ber 13 and 17, 1930, and are now on deposit in the Chicago Academy of Sciences. Recently I borrowed these specimens for reexamination with the following results. The three taken on November 17, 1930, are mexicana and not falcinellus as labeled and so reported by Oberholser. The single speci- men taken on November 13 is, however, correctly identified as falcinellus. Alexander Wetmore kindly examined the material for me and confirmed my identifications. The occurrence of falcinellus in Louisiana thus hinged on Holt's statement and one preserved specimen. However, on July 23, 1944, in the marshes on Grand Isle, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, I encountered a flock of 12 immature ibises that impressed me by their blackness in contrast to the color of glossy ibises with which I was familiar in Cameron Parish. Two specimens were collected and both proved to be falcinellus. Holt's published observations cannot be positively refuted, for we cannot be sure that a colony of falcinellus did not exist in Cameron Parish in 1932, nor that the portion of the rookery under his observation did not consist of a segregated population of that species. However, ten years of field observations by other ornithologists have failed to disclose the species which Holt considered a common nesting bird in an area where we now know that only the White-faced Glossy Ibis occurs. The fact that Holt specifically stated that he failed to find the white-faced bird at any time in his stay in Cameron Parish is difficult to explain, but this much is certain — the present known status of falcinellus in Louisiana is that of only a rare and casual visitor. Branta canadensis hutchinsii (Richardson), Hutchins Goose Oberholser (op. tit., 89) cited only one Louisiana record for this goose. The bird in question was shot but apparently not preserved. Consequently, the status of the race on the Louisiana list was subject to question. Recently, however, two typical specimens of hutchinsii were obtained in the state, one by Edouard Morgan, near Lake Catherine, on November 7, 1942, and the other by Herman Deutsch, four miles above the mouth of the Mermentau River, on November 2, 1944. The former is displayed in the Louisiana Wild- life and Fisheries Exhibit in the Louisiana State Museum, and the latter is now in the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoology. Oxyura dominica (Linnaeus), Masked Duck A mounted specimen of this species was found by T. D. Burleigh and myself in a sporting goods store in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Through the kindness of Mr. Jack Gunn, owner, it was donated to the Louisiana State University Museum Collection. The bird was shot approximately 25 miles southeast of Lake Charles at Sweet Lake, Cameron Parish, on December 23, 1933, by R. T. Newton. This is the first recorded occurrence of the species in Louisiana, as well as one of the very few instances of its appearance anywhere in the United States. Lowery — Birds of Louisiana 183 Buteo lineatus texanus Bishop, Texas Red-shouldered Hawk Although this race has been recorded previously only from Texas and north- eastern Mexico, it appears to be of regular occurrence in southern Louisiana in the fall and winter. The six specimens in the Louisiana State University Collection, identified by Herbert Friedmann as texanus, are as follows: West- over, November 25, 1937; Baton Rouge, October 20, 1936, November 1, 1938, and September 3, 1940; University, November 14, 1942; Hoo-shoo-too, October 12, 1941 (Lowery, Tiebout, and Wallace). Another specimen, taken at Baton Rouge on September 17, 1940 (Ray), was acquired by Louis B. Bishop, who identified it as texanus. Numenius americanus americanus Bechstein, Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus parvus Bishop, Northern Long-billed Curlew Thirteen specimens of this species in the Louisiana State University Museum have been identified subspecifically (in part by J. Van Tyne) as follows: JV. a. americanus — 4 9 , Cameron, November 21 and 22, 1940, and December 5, 1942. N. a. parvus— 4 $ , 1 2 , Cameron, November 21 and 23, 1940, and April 11 and October 31, 1942; 1 2, East Timbalier Island, August 18, 1940. Three are intermediate in size and therefore not identifiable with certainty. Contrary to published accounts, the Long-billed Curlew is a fairly common migrant in certain parts of southern Louisiana. About seventy-five were counted on the beach near Cameron on November 1, 1941, and twenty-five were noted at the same place on December 6, 1942. Almost invariably a few are present there during every month of the year. Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus (Cassin), Western Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus tenuirostris (Lawrence), Cuban Snowy Plover Oberholser (op. cit., 216-217) listed the Cuban Snowy Plover as a rare transient in Louisiana, and cited only four definite records based on three specimens. Our recent studies, however, have yielded twelve additional specimens and a number of sight records, all of which indicate that the species is a regular and sometimes common migrant in spring and fall. Eleven speci- mens in the series are identifiable with certainty as examples of nivosus and therefore constitute an addition to the state list. They were taken at East Timbalier Island on November 15 and 16, 1940 (Burleigh, Lowery, and Ray), at Grand Isle on March 27, 1943 (Burleigh), and near Cameron on November 20 and 21, 1941, April 3 and October 17, 1942, and September 3, 1944 (Burdick, Howell, and Lowery). On April 29, 1945, Tucker saw twenty on the beach near Cameron, but he did not obtain a specimen. A single adult male in our series, taken on East Timbalier Island, on November 15, 1940 (Ray), is re- ferable to tenuirostris. Charadrius hiaticula semipalmatus Bonaparte, Semipalmated Plover Oberholser (on. cit., 218) made special mention of the absence of definite winter records for this species, but, in recent years, it has been noted on numerous occasions in Louisiana in that season. For example, ten were seen at Cameron on December 13, 1940, and the same number was noted there on January 22 and 23, 1941 (Lowery, et al.). A specimen was shot at Cameron on December 5, 1942 (Lowery) . 184 University of Kansas Ptjbls., Mus. Nat. Hist. Charadrius wilsonia wilsonia Ord, Wilson Plover Oberholser's single winter record for this species (op. tit., 220) has now been supplemented by two others — fifteen birds seen and three collected at Cam- eron on January 22, 1941 (Burleigh, Wallace, and Ray) ; one taken at the same place on December 5, 1942 (Burdick). Pluvialis dominica dominica (Muller), American Golden Plover The presence of the Golden Plover on the northern Gulf coast in winter already has been reported by Burleigh ("Bird Life of the Gulf Coast Region of Mississippi," Occas. Papers Mus. Zool. La. State Univ., 20, 1944: 367), but since there are no published instances of its occurrence in Louisiana at that season, the following four specimens are noteworthy: two collected near Creole by Lowery and Ray on November 21, 1940; two others shot at the same place by Burdick and Tucker on December 6, 1942; and one seen, but not taken, near Cameron on November 22, 1941 (Lowery, et al.). Erolia bairdii (Coues), Baird Sandpiper Since there is only one previous definite record of the occurrence of this species in the state, the following records are significant. A male was ob- tained by Burdick at University, 3 miles south, on October 25, 1942. I saw three at the same place on October 29 and shot a male there on November 9. The only spring record is that of a bird seen by me at University, 1 mile south, on May 16, 1945. Steganopus tricolor Vieillot, Wilson Phalarope Apparently the first definite record of this species in the state is that of an adult female, in breeding plumage, shot by E. A. Mcllhenny at Avery Island, Louisiana, on May 10, 1939, and later sent to the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoology. A second specimen, a male in winter plumage, was taken by Burdick 5 miles south of the University on September 12, 1943. Limosa fedoa (Linnaeus), Marbled Godwit This species was listed by Oberholser (op. cit., 271) as a very rare winter resident along the Gulf coast region of southern Louisiana and he cited only two records of occurrence in the state. The following additional records should clarify its present-day status. In 1940 two were seen on East Timbalier Island on August 19, eight on November 15, and seventy-five on both Novem- ber 16 and 17. Three were seen near Cameron on November 21, 1941. In 1942, two were seen near Cameron on April 4, five on April 5, three on April 11, two on April 22, and one on April 23. Another was noted near Cameron on October 7, 1943 (Lowery, et al.). A small series of specimens was taken from the birds mentioned above. In connection with this species, it may be of interest to note that the Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) has not been observed in Louisiana by me or my associates. Geococcyx calif ornian us (Lesson), Road-runner The Road-runner inhabits the northwestern part of the state where it has been reported for many years by local residents. However, since confirma- tion of its occurrence was lacking, previous publications on the birds of the Lowery — Birds of Louisiana 185 state have not listed it. The first definite record is that of a bird killed near Shreveport, on May 1, 1938, by an unspecified collector. Another was shot four miles north of Keatchie, De Soto Parish, on July 9, 1943, by Delmer B. Johnson, at that time field biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wild- life and Fisheries. Both specimens are in the Louisiana State University Museum. Johnson states that he has seen the species on a number of oc- casions, specific records being in April and May, 1943, twelve miles east of Mansfield, and two miles east of Logansport. Various reports of nests have been received, but as yet no completely satisfactory breeding record for the state has been obtained. Columbigallina passerina pallescens (Baird), Mexican Ground Dove The Louisiana State University Museum of Zoology now has a series of 21 specimens of Columbigallina passerina collected in Louisiana since the pub- lication of Oberholser's book, in which only a few records for C. p. passerina alone are cited. Examination of the new material reveals that eleven speci- mens are clearly referable to pallescens, providing, therefore, an addition to the avifauna of the state. As might be expected, pallescens prevails in the western part of the state, although, at least occasionally, it migrates farther east. The specimens identifiable as pallescens are as follows: 7$, 1$, Cam- eron, April 3, 1938 (Lowery) ; December 15, 1940 (Wallace) ; November 1 and 20, 1941 (Burdick and Lowery) ; October 31, 1942 (Burdick and Tucker). Two females were taken at White Castle on January 18, 1938 (Hewes), and another was shot at Carville on January 15, 1941 (Lowery). No Louisiana breeding record for the species is yet available, but in 1939 I saw a pair in the last week of May at Baton Rouge, another near Plaquemine on May 17, 1946, and George M. Sutton and I noted a pair almost daily at Cameron be- tween April 22 and 30, 1942. If the bird breeds in Cameron Parish, the nest- ing race may prove to be pallescens, since a bird taken there on April 3, as listed above, belongs to that subspecies. Chordeiles minor minor (Forster), Eastern Nighthawk Since the one previous record (Oberholser, op. cit., 348) of the occurrence of this subspecies in the state now proves to be an example of C. m. howelli, the following specimens, all taken after the publication of Oberholser's book, constitute the only Louisiana records: 45, 19, University, October 3, 5, 12, 23, 1941 (Burdick, Howell, Ray, and Lowery) ; 4 5, 12, University, May 15, 18, 22, 30, 1942 (Burdick and Lowery) ; 1 $ , Creole, September 2, 1944 (Bur- dick). Chordeiles minor howelli Oberholser, Howell Nighthawk The only state records known, all previously unpublished, are as follows: 19, Colfax, May 15, 1937 (Lowery); 2$, 12, University, May 23 and 24 and October 3, 1941 (Ray and Lowery); 3$, University, May 22 and 25, 1942 (Burdick); 1$, Chloe, 10 miles south, April 28, 1945; 1$, Creole, 2 miles west, April 30, 1945 (Tucker). 186 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Chordeiles minor aserriensis Cherrie, Cherrie Nighthawk Three specimens, one male and two females, taken from flocks of migrating nighthawks at University on September 29 and October 3 and 9, 1941 (Ray and Lowery), are the only records of the occurrence of this race in the state. Chordeiles minor sennetti Coues, Sennett Nighthawk A female taken at University on September 29, 1941 (Burdick), and a male shot at the same place on May 22, 1942 (Lowery), constitute the basis for the addition of this subspecies to the Louisiana list. Chordeiles acutipennis texensis Lawrence, Texas Nighthawk At dusk on April 10, 1942, in company with Burdick and Ray, I en- countered a small flock of nighthawks feeding over the marsh near the beach a few miles from Cameron. Darkness came before more than two could be collected, but both of these proved to be the Texas Nighthawk, a species not heretofore recorded from Louisiana. On the following day a nighthawk was found perched in a tree near the marsh where the birds had been seen the previous evening. It was collected and likewise proved to be texensis. Muscivora forficata (Gmelin), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher The nesting of this species in northwestern Louisiana has been indicated for some time, especially after Wallace noted it at Lucas, in Caddo Parish, on June 16 and July 21, 1942. However, the first authentic breeding record for the state was furnished by a freshly built nest found by Edgar W. Fullilove and myself several miles below Bossier, on July 3, 1945. At least two pairs were found there in a large cotton field in which an occasional pecan tree had been left standing. The nest was in one of these trees, about 25 feet from the ground and far out on the end of a limb. Fullilove informed me that to his knowledge the species had nested in this field for at least ten years and that on numerous previous occasions he had seen both nests and young. Myiarchus cinerascens cinerascens (Lawrence), Ash-throated Flycatcher The first record of the occurrence of this species in Louisiana is that of a male collected by Howell at University, on March 20, 1943. On December 23, 1945, I shot a second specimen, a female, on the bank of False River opposite New Roads. When found, both birds were actively pursuing insects and on being skinned, both were found to be very fat. Empidonax flaviventris (Baird and Baird), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Oberholser (op. cit., 394) listed this species as a rare autumn transient, citing one definite Louisiana record for that season. On the contrary, the species is quite regular in fall. Six specimens have been collected at University, one each on September 12, 17, 18, and 28, 1940, October 22, 1942, and September 26, 1943 (Lowery and Wallace). Two others have been taken at Cameron, on October 7, 1943 (Burleigh), and September 2, 1944 (Lowery). There are numerous sight records, but since the species cannot be distinguished with certainty in the field from extremely yellow-plumaged Acadian Flycatchers, none of these is recorded. Lowery — Birds of Louisiana 187 Empidonax traillii traillii (Audubon), Alder Flycatcher This species long has been regarded as an uncommon transient in Louisiana in both spring and fall. However, recent field work has shown the bird to occur regularly and sometimes abundantly in autumnal migration. Forty-one specimens have been collected at University on dates ranging from August 17 to October 5 (Lowery, et al.). Specimens taken by Burleigh at New Orleans on September 27, 1941, and August 23, 1943, are in the Louisiana State Univer- sity Museum. Empidonax minimus (Baird and Baird), Least Flycatcher Oberholser (op. tit., 397) listed this species as an uncommon transient since he had only a few sight records at hand. Since field identification of all eastern empidonaces in fall is open to question, our recent data, based on collected material, are significant. Six specimens have been taken at Univer- sity on dates ranging from September 15 to October 5, and five at Cameron between July 25 and October 17 inclusive (Lowery, et al.). Another specimen in the collection is that of a bird taken by Burleigh at New Orleans on October 1, 1942. There is, as yet, no unquestionable spring record for Louisiana. Pyrocephalus rubinus mexicanus Sclater, Vermilion Flycatcher Oberholser (op. cit., 401) listed only one record for this species, a male ob- served by H. E. Wallace at University, on February 6, 1938, and shot the next day by me. Since 1938, however, it has been found regularly and frequently at numerous localities in southern Louisiana in winter. At Baton Rouge, for ex- ample, an adult male was noted almost daily between October 19, 1941, and Jan- uary 7, 1942, at a small pond on the University campus. An immature male was seen there also on November 25, 1941, but not thereafter. In the following autumn another adult male appeared at the same place on October 23, and was observed regularly until January 15, 1943. Again, an adult male returned to the same area on November 10, 1943, and remained until the middle of January, 1944. W. C. Abbott informs me that for several years one or two individuals have spent the winter at a small willow-bordered pond at his home near Hope- villa, Iberville Parish. Like the individuals noted at Baton Rouge, Abbott's birds arrived in October or November and remained until the following January or February. H. B. Chase, Jr., noted two individuals at City Park Lake in New Orleans in the winter of 1944-45, and three at the same place in the winter of 1945-46. I have seen the species frequently in Cameron Parish, in south- western Louisiana, where six specimens have been collected on dates ranging from November 4 to January 22. Atwood (Auk, 60, 1943: 453) has also re- corded its presence near the Laccasine Refuge in Cameron Parish. An im- mature male was obtained at False River, near Lakeland, in Pointe Coupee Parish, on November 8, 1942 (Burdick). E. A. Mcllhenny writes me that he has seen the species many times at Avery Island and recently he sent me a skin of an adult female which he collected there on October 25, 1945 (also cj. Mcllhenny, Auk, 52, 1935: 187). From these data it is evident that the Vermilion Flycatcher is now a regular winter visitor to southern Louisiana. 188 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Troglodytes troglodytes pullus (Burleigh), Southern Winter Wren A rather large series of Winter Wrens, all taken later than the date of pub- lication of Oberholser's book, includes three specimens of this race and provides an addition to the state list. Two of the specimens are males collected at Baton Rouge on November 23 and December 21, 1943 (Burleigh), and the other is a male shot at the same place on January 23, 1944 (Burdick). Several additional specimens in the series are noticeably darker than the average hiemalis and may have migrated from a zone of intergradation. Turdus migratorius nigrideus Aldrich and Nutt, Newfoundland Robin The only two records for the occurrence of this race in Louisiana are those of specimens taken at Baton Rouge on February 1, 1937, and February 9, 1946 (Lowery). Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni (Tschudi), Eastern Olive-backed Thrush Hylocichla ustulata almae Oberholser, Alma Olive-backed Thrush Only four Louisiana specimens of the Olive-backed Thrush were available to Oberholser in 1938. He identified two as swainsoni and two as almae. We have since collected twenty-five specimens in the state, seven of which are definitely almae. Of the remaining, all are clearly swainsoni with the excep- tion of a few that appear intermediate in color. The specimens of almae were collected at Cameron, Baton Rouge, and Baines on dates ranging from April 26 to May 16 and from September 29 to October 6. The specimens of swainsoni were taken at New Orleans, Port Hudson, Baton Rouge, and Baines between April 20 and May 16 and between September 12 and October 28. Hylocichla fuscescens salicicola Ridgway, Willow Thrush Oberholser (op. cit., 474) recorded this race as a rare spring transient on the basis of two records. However, eleven out of twenty-three recently taken specimens are referable to salicicola, indicating that salicicola and fuscescens possibly occur in approximately equal numbers, in both spring and fall. The dates on which salicicola have been collected range from April 22 to May 16, and from September 14 to 27. They were taken at Cameron, Port Hudson, Baton Rouge, University, and Baines. Anthus spinoletta pacificus Todd, Western Pipit The only Louisiana record for this far western race is that of a female taken by me at Jennings, on January 3, 1943. The specimen was sent to Alden H. Miller, who compared it with material in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and verified the identification. As a rule, I scrutinize closely with binoculars all flocks of pipits, and as a result, on several occasions have detected pale individuals that stood out from the remainder of the flock. However, the above-mentioned specimen is the only individual so detected that I succeeded in shooting. Vireo solitarius alticola Brewster, Mountain Vireo Four specimens out of a series of twenty-eight Blue-headed Vireos taken in Louisiana since 1938 are referable to this race. It has not been recorded previously from the state. The specimens consist of a male and a female col- Lower y — Birds of Louisiana 189 lected at Bogalusa on February 9, 1939, a male taken at Tunica on March 30, 1939, and a female at Erwinville on March 11, 1941 (Lowery). Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmelin), Worm-eating Warbler Although there are no published nesting records of this species in Louisiana, it is now known to be a common summer resident in the beech-magnolia forests of the Bayou Sara-Tunica Hills section north of St. Francisville. Jas. Hy. Bruns has supplied me with copious data on the birds seen in the nesting season at Baines, and the two of us have spent a great deal of time searching for a nest, without success. However, Bruns obtained a juvenile female, just out of a nest, on June 28, 1942. Seiurus aurocapillus furvior Batchelder, Newfoundland Oven-bird Seiurus aurocapillus cinereus A. H. Miller, Gray Oven-bird Four specimens in our series of Oven-birds are identifiable without question as examples of furvior. Two were collected by me at University on Septem- ber 15 and 25, 1940, and Tucker shot one there on September 27, 1942, and another at Cameron on April 29, 1945. There are also two specimens in the series referable to cinereus, as well as several that are intermediate between cinereus and S. a. aurocapillus. Burdick shot one of the typical examples of cin- ereus at University on September 24, 1942, and I shot the other at the same place on May 16, 1945. Seiurus noveboracensis noveboracensis (Gmelin), Northern Water-thrush Seiurus noveboracensis limnaeus McCabe and Miller, British Columbia Water-thrush A. H. Miller has recently examined our large series of migrant Water- thrushes and identified three as good examples of limnaeus, and six as nove- boracensis, neither one of which has been recorded previously from the state. The specimens of limnaeus were taken at or near University on October 2, 1942 (Howell), October 12, 1943, and May 11, 1945 (Burleigh). The specimens of noveboracensis were collected at University on September 14, 1941 (Low- ery) ; at Baines on September 4, 1943, August 20, 1944, and May 6, 1945 (Bruns) ; at New Orleans on October 20, 1941 (Burleigh) ; and at Cameron on April 26, 1942 (Lowery). Geothlypis trichas occidentalis Brewster, Western Yellow-throat I have found it impracticable to determine subspecifically every specimen in our series of 104 Yellow-throats from Louisiana. However, two female specimens taken by me, one at Cameron on December 4, 1938, and the other on False River at Lakeland on February 11, 1941, are without doubt repre- sentatives of the race now known as occidentalis, a subspecies not previously recorded from this state. Several additional specimens in the series are prob- ably also of that race, but I am deferring, for the time, recording them as Buch. Icteria virens virens (Linnaeus), Yellow-breasted Chat The only winter record for Louisiana is that of a female taken by me at Hackberry on January 24, 1941. 190 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Wilsonia pusilla pusilla (Wilson), Wilson Warbler The only winter record for the state is that of a female shot by T. D. Bur- leigh on December 20, 1944, in a thicket along the Mississippi River at Uni- versity. He first found the bird at this place in November, and he saw it several times in December before he succeeded in obtaining it. Since Ober- holser cited so few Louisiana records, it might be well to mention in this con- nection that the species is after all a fairly common fall migrant in southern Louisiana. At Baton Rouge it occurs regularly between September 11 and October 24, and at Cameron it has been noted between October 17 and No- vember 21. There are still no spring records for southern Louisiana. Sturnella neglecta Audubon, Western Meadowlark In 1938 Oberholser cited only two Louisiana records, both from the north- western part of the state. However, recently the species has been found in the south-central region. Two were collected at Churchill on February 11, 1941 (Lowery and Wallace), and another was shot at University on December 9, 1942 (Burdick). There are in addition several sight records, all of birds in song. Cassidix mexicanus prosopidicola Lowery, Mesquite Great-tailed Grackle I am indebted to E. A. Mcllhenny for material that now permits the defi- nite recording of this subspecies from Louisiana. On occasions during the winters of 1938, 1939, and 1940, Mcllhenny sent me specimens of grackles in the flesh which he had removed from his bird-banding traps at Avery Island. Selection was based primarily on eye-color; individuals with clear yellow irises proved invariably to be examples of prosopidicola, whereas those with brown or yellow-brown irises were always major. The final basis for sub- specific identification was, however, size and plumage color. The series pro- vided by Mcllhenny consists of six females taken on November 24 and De- cember 20, 1938, December 18, 1939, January 22 and March 5, 1940. Since the range in Texas of typical prosopidicola extends eastward to within thirty miles of the Louisiana line, it is not surprising that occasional individuals or flocks wander into Louisiana in winter. Passerculus sandwichensis mediogriseus Aldrich, Southeastern Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis labradorius Howe, Labrador Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis nevadensis Grinnell, Nevada Savannah Sparrow Our series of 107 Savannah Sparrows, collected in Louisiana almost en- tirely since the publication of Oberholser's book, includes representatives of five geographical races, as follows: 37 savanna, 24 oblitus, 12 mediogriseus, 8 labradorius, and 7 nevadensis. The remaining 19 specimens show various combinations of characters and appear to be intergrades, and so have not been assigned definitely to any one race. I am indebted to James L. Peters for the identification of most of our specimens. Since mediogriseus and la- bradorius have not been reported previously from Louisiana, and since there is only one Louisiana record of nevadensis (Miles, Auk, 60, 1943: 606-607), actual dates and localities of occurrence for these races are listed here. P. s. Lowery — Birds of Louisiana 191 medio griseus (specimens by Burdick, Howell, Lowery, Ray, Tucker, and Wal- lace) — University, January 31, 1939; February 11 and 29, April 29, November 28, and December 16, 1940; December 6 and 7, 1941; October 10 and 25, 1942; April 14, 1943. Erwinville, March 11, 1941. P. s. labradorius (specimens by Burleigh, Lowery, Mcllhenny, Ray and Wallace) — University, February 15 and November 8, 1940; January 1, 1941; December 11, 1943. 2 mi. NE Baton Rouge, January 1, 1941. Burtville, December 8, 1939. Avery Island, May 3, 1939. Lake Charles, November 20, 1940. P. s. nevadensis (specimens by Bur- dick, Lowery, and Wallace) — Iowa Station, January 23 and 24, 1940. Univer- sity, February 10 and March 10, 1940. University, December 7, 1941, and No- vember 15, 1942. Cameron, December 6, 1942. There are at present no bona fide records of P. s. anthinus in Louisiana, since the one recorded example of that race (Oberholser, op. cit., 647) appears, on reexamination, to be referable to savanna (fide J. L. Peters). Ammodramus savannarum pratensis Vieillot, Eastern Grasshopper Sparrow Eight specimens of the Grasshopper Sparrow taken recently in Louisiana are without exception referable to pratensis. Our one remaining specimen, a male collected at Pride on December 19, 1937, is an example of perpallidus as recorded by Oberholser (op. cit., 648). Although the present series is inade- quate for determining the prevailing form in the state in the winter, it would appear that pratensis is more common, rather than perpallidus as indicated by Oberholser. Chondestes grammacus strigatus Swainson, Western Lark Sparrow Oberholser cited only one Louisiana record for this race. The following additional records are now available : a specimen was taken by Howell at Cameron on October 31, 1942, and one was obtained by me at University on April 13, 1945. The species is a transient in both localities. A supplementary winter record for the Lark Sparrow in Louisiana is that of an individual seen at Port Hudson on December 23, 1945, by Howell and Newman. The bird was shot, but unfortunately, it was not retrieved. Junco hyemalis cismontanus Dwight, Cassiar Junco The only specimen in our series of Slate-colored Juncos that is a clear-cut example of this race is a male taken by Ambrose Daigre at Catahoula Lake on November 29, 1939. A. H. Miller has confirmed the identification. Calcarius lapponicus alascensis Ridgway, Alaska Longspur Oberholser listed this species as a casual winter visitor in northern Louisi- ana, which was possibly no more than was indicated by records then available to him. Since 1938, however, the species has been observed in large flocks at various localities in the southern part of the state, notably in January, 1941, when the whole state was blanketed with snow. Nevertheless, snow is ap- parently not prerequisite to the appearance of the species this far south, for on January 1 and 3, 1943, a flock of approximately a thousand individuals was seen a few miles north of Jennings. Again, on February 14, 1943, about half of what may have been the original flock was observed there. In neither instance was there snow anywhere in Louisiana. Of the thirty specimens in 192 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. the Louisiana State University Collection, eleven have been identified by Alexander Wetmore as somewhat intermediate between alascensis and lapponi- cus, but closer to the former. Only lapponicus has been previously recorded from Louisiana. The specimens of alascensis were taken at Baton Rouge on January 25 and 28, 1940; Cornor, January 27, 1940; Lottie, January 27, 1940; and 10 miles north of Jennings, January 1 and February 14, 1943 (Burdick, Campbell, Hewes, Lowery, and Wallace). Transmitted February 1, 1947. 21-6959 A Check-List of the Birds of Idaho BY M. DALE ARVEY LIBRARY 1AR -8 19.50 ; HARVARD UNIVERSITY 0F_KANSAS PUBLICATIONS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 1, No. 10, pp. 193-216 November 29, 1947 University of Kansas LAWRENCE 1947 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, H. H. Lane, Edward H. Taylor Volume 1, No. 10, pp. 193-216 Published November 29, 1947 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS I 947 •1\ -69 111 w^*^: : :^-' : :< ; : : :<' : -"' : "'"'- : ' : ' : J:: '.■■:■:■:■:■: Biiiiiiift. j^-: : '.iX" ; ^^V'''^ Scole 10 o to *o Miles lil I ■ • SPECIMEN EXAMINED <§)lYPE LOCALITY G.b. lutescens 3 4 G.b. majusculus 5 ■■, :.:,; G.b. jugossicularis G. b. industrius G.b. major Fig. 1. Map showing the geographic distribution of the five subspecies of the Mississippi Valley pocket gopher, Geomys bursarius, in Kansas, with insert showing range of the species. 222 University of Kansas Publs., Mtjs. Nat. Hist. In connection with this study each of the authors acknowledges assistance from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and one of us (Villa) is grateful for assistance also to Drs. Isaac Ochoterena and Roberto Llamas of the Biological Institute of Mexico. For the loan of specimens we are grate- ful to Dr. William B. Davis, of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas; Dr. G. C. Rinker, of Hamilton, Kansas; and Mr. A. J. Kirn, of Somer- set, Texas. Unless otherwise indicated, specimens are in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. ACCOUNTS OF SUBSPECIES Geomys bursarius lutescens Merriam Geomys bursarius lutescens Merriam. North Amer. Fauna, 4:51, Octo- ber 8, 1890; Scheffer, Technical Bull., U. S. Dept. Agric, 224:6, January, 1931. Geomys lutescens Merriam, North Amer. Fauna, 8:127-29, January 31. 1895; Lantz, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 19:175, 1905; Lantz, Kansas State Agric. College Bull., 129:335, April, 1905; Hibbard, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 36:240, 1933; Black, 30th Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board Agric, 35:182, 1937; Swenk, Missouri Valley Fauna, 2:1, February 1, 1940; Allen, Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Bull. Inf. in Educ, 20 (no. 5) :15, May, 1940; Hooper, Occas. Papers Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, 420:3, June 28, 1940. Geomys lutescens lutescens, Hibbard, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 47:74, 1944. • Type locality. — Sandhills on Birdwood Creek, Lincoln County, western Ne- braska. Distribution in Kansas. — Northwestern Kansas, eastward certainly to Ellis County, southward certainly to Scott County. Description. — Animals with total length averaging no more than 272 mm.; length of vertebrae of tail averaging no more than 92; hind foot averaging no more than 35. Color: In autumn pelage, upper parts Light Ochraceous-Buff becoming Buckthorn Brown in middorsal region and there forming a faint longitudinal band; sides Pale Yellow Orange. In summer, Buckthorn Brown on upper parts with a dorsal band, especially distinct on specimens from Ellis and Trego counties; specimens from farther west lack the distinct dorsal band. Underparts Gray Drab and sometimes whitish, usually whitish in young speci- mens; basal color of pelage Deep Neutral Gray; fore and hind feet whitish. Skull: Zygomatic arch broadly and squarely spreading anteriorly; temporal impressions uniting to form a low sagittal crest in adult males, but in adult females and in young males the impressions usually remain apart; shape of interparietal varying from subquadrate in young specimens to subtriangular or triangular in adults; in some young specimens the interparietal is reduced to a minute, ovoid bone. Comparisons. — See comparisons in the accounts of other sub- species occurring in Kansas. Remarks. — In his monographic revision of the pocket gophers, Merriam (1895:129) recorded 3 "typical or nearly typical" speci- mens from Trego County, and 18 "non typical" specimens as fol- lows: Garden Plain, Sedgwick County, 4; Belle Plain, Sumner Villa-R. — Pocket Gophers of Kansas 223 County, 5; Cairo, Pratt County, 6; Kiowa, Bather County, 2; and Ellis, Ellis County, 1. A detailed discussion of Merriam's account of the distribution of Geomys lutescens in Kansas is given by Swenk (1940:11-12). Judging by specimens in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, G. bursarius lutescens in Kansas is restricted to the northwestern part of the state, reaching southward certainly to Scott County and eastward certainly to Ellis County; precise limits of distribution of this subspecies are unknown. Additional collecting is necessary to determine where the range of lutescens meets the ranges of the other subspecies. The specimens studied are remark- ably uniform. One specimen obtained in October, in Trego County, is slightly lighter colored than any other from Kansas. In other characteristics it agrees with specimens from northwestern Kansas and from the type locality. Specimens examined. — Total number 32, as follows: Cheyenne County: 23 mi. (by road) NW St. Francis, 3. Rawlins County: 2 mi. NE Ludell, 10. Logan County: 5 mi. W El- kader, 3; no locality more precise than county, 1. Trego County: Wakeeney, 4; 12 mi. S Collyer, Perrington Ranch, 3; no locality more precise than county, 5. Scott County: 4 mi. S Scott City, 2. Ellis County: Hays State College Campus, Hays, 1. Geomys bursarius majusculus Swenk Geomys bursarius majusculus Swenk, Missouri Valley Fauna, 1:6, De- cember 5, 1939; Hibbard, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 47:74, 1944. Geomys bursarius, Baird, Expls. and surveys for a railroad route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, pt. 1, Mammals, 377, 1857; Merriam, North Amer. Fauna, 8:120, January, 1895; Lantz, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 19:175, 1905; Lantz, Kansas State Agric. College Bull., 129:335, April, 1905; Scheffer, Kansas State Agric. College Ento. and Zool. Dept. Bull., 172:199, September, 1910; Hibbard, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 36: 240, 1933; Allen, Kansas State Teachers College Emporia Bull. Inf. Stud, in Educ, 20 (no. 5): 15, May, 1940. . Geomys bursarius bursarius, Black, 30th Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board Agric, 35:181, 1937. Geomys breviceps, Baird, Expls. and surveys for a railroad route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, pt. 1, Mammals, 380, 1857. Type locality. — Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska. Distribution in Kansas. — Northeastern Kansas, westward certainly to Clay and Marion counties and southward certainly to Greenwood County. Description. — Color: Upper parts Mummy Brown in fresh appearing pelage of February but in more worn pelage of March more reddish being near (16') Prout's Brown; top of head and sometimes back darker than rest of upper parts; underparts usually with some whitish anteriorly; fore and hind feet and approximately distal half of tail white. Size: Large, total length aver- aging more than 280 mm. in males and 257 in females; hind foot averaging 35 mm. or more in males. Skull: Large; rostrum averaging more than twice as long as wide; sagittal crest high in males and barely present in females; occiput vertical when skull is laid top down ; least width of braincase less than 224 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. distance from alveolus of upper incisor to middle of lateral border of P 4 at alveolar border. Comparisons. — From Geomys bursarius lutescens, majusculus differs as follows: Color darker, Mummy Brown to Prout's Brown instead of Buckthorn Brown. In both sexes: head and body a fifth to a sixth longer; hind foot 5 to 6 per cent longer; skull averaging larger in all parts measured except that premaxillae (in each sub- species) extend equally far posteriorly to nasals; diastema longer in relation to basilar length; rostrum longer relative to its width; sagit- tal crest higher; rostrum often more depressed distally; angle of suture between maxilla and jugal more obtuse. From G. b. bursarius, according to Swenk (1939:6), majusculus differs in larger size. From G. b. illinoensis, majusculus. according to Komarek and Spencer (1931:405), differs in brownish instead of slate-gray colora- tion and in two cranial characters as follows: Nasals straight-sided instead of shaped like an hour-glass, and superficial canals on pala- tine extending anteriorly beyond first molar, and from there ante- riorly more or less separated. The first of these characters does not always hold; occasional individuals of majusculus, for example some from Douglas County, have the nasals shaped like an hour- glass. From G. breviceps dutcheri, majusculus differs in larger size (hind foot more than 33 mm. in males, and 29 in females; basilar length more than 42 mm. in males and 36 in females) ; dorsal ex- posure of jugal longer than width of rostrum measured between ventral margins of infraorbital foramina. From G. bursarius major of southcentral Kansas (for example Harvey County), majusculus differs in slightly darker color, being Mummy Brown instead of Prout's Brown; size larger (in males total length more than 284 mm., hind foot 35 or more, basilar length of skull more than 42, and in females total length 265 or more, hind foot averaging 33 or more, and basilar length 40 or more). Skull : Averaging larger, in all parts measured, except that pre- maxillae do not extend so far posteriorly to nasals in either males or females; interorbital constriction slightly narrower in adult fe- males; temporal ridges forming a more prominent sagittal crest in adult males (sagittal crest barely present in some adult males of major from Harper County). Remarks. — In employing the subspecific name majusculus we are following Swenk (1939:6) who on the basis of larger size differen- Villa-R. — Pocket Gophers of Kansas 225 tinted the animals from southeastern South Dakota, the eastern parts of Nebraska and Kansas, and the western and southern parts of Iowa, from G. bwsarius bursarius to which he assigned a more northern geographic range. In the absence of comparative mate- rials of the northern subspecies we cannot make an independent de- cision on the validity of majusculus and recognize that if it is in- separable from G. b. bursarius the latter name will apply to specimens from northeastern Kansas. We are the more uncertain about applying the name majusculus to specimens from eastern Kansas because they average smaller than topotypes. Only at the northeasternmost locality in Kansas (3 mi. N Cummings, Atchison County) do specimens average as large as topotypes of majusculus. Farther southward they become progressively smaller in eastern Kansas, and we interpret this as intergradation with the still smaller subspecies major, to the southwest. The average external measure- ments of two adult males from Atchison County are: 321-99-35. Thirty-six miles farther south, in Douglas County, 16 adult males average 289-80-36. From Hamilton, Greenwood County, 80 miles farther southwest, nine adult males average 284-83-35. The maxi- mum total length recorded at these three localities is: Atchison County, 342 (1 of 2 specimens), Douglas County, 308 (1 of 16 specimens) , Greenwood County, 357 (in coll. of Dr. Glenn C. Rinker and 1 of 15 males of all ages involved). It will be seen, therefore, that although there is a trend to smaller average size toward the southward, the maximum of 357 millimeters total length at Hamil- ton exceeds the maximum of 352 millimeters recorded by Swenk (1939:3) among 86 males at Lincoln where the recorded average is largest. Four specimens from Salina (Debold Farm) are intermediate structurally, as they are also geographically, between G. b. majus- culus on the one hand and Geomys bursarius lutescens and Geomys bursarius major on the other hand. In color they agree with majus- culus, as they do also in width of nasals posteriorly, in more obtuse angle of the rostrum and maxillary arm of the zygomatic arch. They agree with G. b. lutescens in having the occiput inclined anterodor- sally, and are intermediate between majusculus and lutescens, but- nearer the latter in size of skull and in length of the rostrum relative to its width. Specimens examined. — Total number, 148, as follows: Clay County: 6 mi. SW Clay Center, 3. Jackson County: 10% mi. WSW Holton, 1; no locality more precise than county, 1. Atchison County: 3 mi. N Cummings, 2. Jefferson County: Oskaloosa, 1. I^eavenworth County: Fort Leavenworth (Government Hill, 2; Engineer Hill, 1), 6; no locality more pre- 226 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. cise than county, 19. Saline County: Salina, Debold Farm, 4 (coll. of A. J. Kirn). Morris County: \y 2 mi. N Council Grove, 3. Douglas Comity: 1 mi. NW Midland, 2;1 mi. N Lawrence, 1; iy 2 mi. W Lawrence, 2; 1 mi. W K. U. Campus, 2; 1 mi. W Lawrence, 2; y 2 mi. W Lawrence, 2; "W K. U. Campus," 2; K. U. Campus, 4; Lawrence, 23; South Law- rence, 1 ; y 2 mi. SW K. U. Campus, 2 ; Southwest K. U. Campus, 1 ; Haskell Institute, 1 ; iV 2 mi. S Lawrence, 1; 7 mi. SW Lawrence, 6; 7V 2 mi. SW Lawrence, 1; 8 mi. SW Law- rence, 1; 10 mi. S Lawrence, 1; 11 mi. SW Lawrence, 3; no locality more precise than county, 15. Marion County: \y 2 mi. NE Lincolnville, 6; 4 mi. SE Lincolnville, 1; 6 mi. S Lincolnville, 1. Greenwood County: Hamilton, 1; y 2 mi. S Hamilton, 4; 1 mi. S Hamil- ton, 4; 4 mi. S and 14 mi. W Hamilton, 6; 8 mi. SW Toronto, 1; sy 2 mi. SW Toronto, 5; no locality more precise than county, 6. Geomys bursarius jugossicularis Hooper Geomys lutescens jugossicularis Hooper, Occas. Papers Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, no. 420: 1, June 28, 1940; Hibbard, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., vol. 47, p. 75, 1944. Type locality. — Lamar, Prowers County, Colorado. Distribution in Kansas. — Extreme southwestern part of state, northward cer- tainly to Hamilton County and south certainly to Morton and Seward counties. Description. — A yellowish-cinnamon colored animal, with body of medium size, zj'gomatic plate of maxilla deep and mastoid process small. Comparisons. — Differs from Geomys bursarius industrius in slightly lighter color; occiput not strongly inclined anterodorsally. From G. b. lutescens, jugossicularis differs in less buffy coloration and deeper zygomatic plate of maxilla. Remarks. — G. bursarius jugossicularis and G. bursarius industrius intergrade in the southern part of Meade County. Some specimens from this area show a coloration resembling that of G. b. jugossicu- laris; nevertheless, one specimen from Morton County has the occi- put anterodorsally inclined as in G. b. industrius. Specimens examined from Hamilton County correspond closely to G. b. jugossicularis; they agree with it both in color and in cranial characters. Specimens examined. — Total number, 20, distributed as follows: Hamilton County: 1 mi. E Coolidge, Conard Farm, 4. Morton County: 12 mi. NE Elkhart, 2; Cimarron River, 12 mi. N Elkhart, 4; no locality more precise than county, 6. Seward County: 1 mi. E Arkalon, 4. Geomys bursarius industrius, new subspecies Geomys lutescens Merriam, North Amer. Fauna, 8:127, January 31, 1895. Geomys breviceps llanensis, Hibbard, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 36:240. 1933; Black. 30th Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board Agric, 35:181. 1937. Geomys lutescens jugossicularis Hooper, Occas. Papers Mus. Zocil., Univ. Michigan, 420:1. June 28, 1940. Type.— Male, adult, skin and skull, no. 14083 Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas; from 1V> miles north of Fowler, Meade County, Kan- sas; obtained December 30, 1941, by H. H. Hildebrand, original number 16. Distribution in Kansas. — Southwestern Kansas from Meade County east- Villa-R. — Pocket Gophers of Kansas 227 ward certainly to Pratt and Clark counties; from Pawnee County southward probably to the Oklahoma boundary. Diagnosis. — Size of body medium; color of upper parts Cinnamon Brown; skull with occiput .strongly inclined anterodorsally in males. Description. — Color: Upper parts Cinnamon Brown, slightly reddish, but in some specimens collected in September, in Pawnee County, near (15' i) Ochraceous-Tawny; underparts usually Wood Brown, somewhat whitish an- Fi 3 •a ai a C M 3 — a ~ u O > 3 p m a E g-3 3 3 o ex C O H o c •a c j5 g M a > ffl J S3 -a 03 O ■a J3 o .3 JZ c 03 11 9 H O O P. aj afi+» t*-. 2 « G S 03 -S3 3 3 5 ave. min. max. 16 ave. min. max. 4 ave. min. max. 8 ave. min. max. 11153 11152 12870 12892 266 82.0 257 76.0 276 91.0 12088 272 92.0 289 79.8 273 70.0 308 95.0 265 82 . 250 68.0 285 92 . 265 82.0 247 70.0 280 90.0 11724 256 240 240 G. b. lutescens; topotypes 34.2 40.0 17.7 30.5 26.8 11.5 6.7 33.0 38.3 16.0 29.1 26.1 11.2 6.3 36.0 42.4 20.3 31.7 27.5 11.9 6.9 2 mi. NE Ludell, Rawlins Co., Kansas 35.0 43.2 19.1 32.3 27.7 11.3 6.6 8.6 8.1 9.2 G. b. majusculw; Douglas Co., Kansas 36.3 47.1 21.0 *34.1 30.4 12.1 6.8 9.3 32.0 44.7 18.9 30.5 27.5 11.1 6.5 8.2 55.0 49.9 23.2 38.0 34.5 13.5 7.6 10.3 G. b. jugossicularis ; Morton Co., Kansas 34.2 40.7 16.9 30.0 27.9 10.7 6.0 8.6 30.0 38.5 16.1 29.0 27.5 10.5 5.5 8.2 37.0 42.4 17.4 31.1 28.4 11.0 6.2 9.2 G. b. i7idustrius; Meade Co., Kansas 35.0 40.9 18.1 30.0 28.0 11.0 6.2 8.8 33.0 37.9 15.5 28.2 26.5 9.9 5.7 8.0 36.0 43.4 21.0 32.4 29.5 11.6 7.0 9.1 3.9 3.5 4.2 17.1 20.8 16.2 19.1 17.7 23.6 8.4 2.8 18.0 22.1 3.7 18.5 24.9 2.9 17.3 22.9 5.7 20.0 28.1 4.7 5.5 4.3 2.9 G. b. major; Wells Ranch, Aetna, Barber Co., Kansas 66.0 34.0 41.0 18.3 31.6 28.2 10.6 6.1 9.0 4.0 1 mi. W Aetna, Barber Co., Kansas 75.0 32.0 36.7 15.7 26.9 24.6 9.9 5.9 8.8 4.0 65.0 32.0 36.0 14.2 26.1 25.4 10.9 5.6 8.5 5.0 17.3 21.2 16.4 20.2 17.9 22.0 17.7 21.8 16.8 19.5 19.1 24.2 17.0 21.3 15.0 15.5 19.5 18.5 3 mi. SE Arkansas City, Cowley Co., Kansas 246 76.0 32.0 42.1 J16.0 33.7 29.7 11.5 6.3 9.4 4.5 17.6 $21 3 3 mi. SW Arkansas City, Cowley Co., Kansas 282 84.0 33.0 41.7 17.3 .... 27.7 10.8 6.4 8.9 4.2 17.2 21.5 Villa-R. — Pocket Gophers of Kansas 233 Measurements of Adult Females of Geomys (In millimeters) Number of individ- uals averaged or catalogue number J3 +^> & c CD "a o '3 o t a ►J Length of hind foot Basilar length Length of nasals Zygomatic breadth Mastoid breadth Breadth of rostrum Interorbital constric- tion 1 .a $ c ^ £ C a J3V. o a l a < 1 fe eu o a fc ■ i~ « °* c a ■S3 S i V. a to nasals Depth of skull 1 O o x; -& a CD G. b. lutescens; topotypes 6 ave. min. max. 233 215 254 72.3 63.0 76.0 31.1 35.3 15.0 25.9 23.7 10.4 6.1 30.0 33.5 13.9 24.6 21.8 10.1 5.6 32.0 37.0 16.8 26.7 24.8 10.7 6.6 2 mi. NE Ludell, Rawlins Co., Kansas 8.3 8.1 8.5 3.7 2.9 4.5 15.4 14.8 16.2 18.4 17.3 19.8 11733 12155 230 245 63.0 70.0 31.0 35.3 15.1 26.5 24.1 9.3 6.1 30.0 35.6 14.6 25.2 24.1 10.6 6.4 G. b. nmjusculus ; Douglas Co., Kansas 7.5 7.5 2.4 3.1 15.0 14.9 18.2 18.2 17 ave. min. max. 265 222 304 78.6 59.0 92.0 32.8 °40.6 °17.2 *28.6 26.4 10.9 6.5 30.0 37.1 15.9 26.7 24.9 10.0 5.9 35.0 47.0 20.1 33.4 29.1 12.3 7.3 G. b. jugossicularis ; Morton Co., Kansas 9.1 8.5 10.0 3.6 2.0 5.9. 16.6 15.2 19.1 21.0 18.8 24.1 5012 5395 244 230 72.0 72.0 30.0 36.2 16.4 25.4 25.0 10.0 5.9 30.0 34.6 13.9 24.7 24.8 9.8 5.8 8.0 8.0 4.2 4.5 16.0* 19.3 15. 2{ 17.5 G. b. industrius; Meade Co., Kansas 7 ave. min. max. 238 §73.0 231 65.0 256 75.0 31.3 t36.4 14.9 26.3 f24.8 10.0 6.0 30.0 35.4 14.0 25.8 24.5 9.5 5.6 32.0 37.8 16.1 27.8 25.9 10.3 6.5 8.4 8.1 8.7 4.1 3.6 4.7 16.2 15.5 17.6 18.6 17.5 19.9 G. b. major; 1 mi. S Aetna, Barber Co., Kansas 10069 257 95.0 32.0 37.0 16.4 26.4 25.5 10.8 6.2 Aetna, Barber Co., Kansas 9.0 3.4 16.4 19.4 10070 242 83.0 30.0 36.8 15.7 26.2 25.0 10.1 65 Wells Ranch, Aetna, Barber Co., Kansas 9.1 3.3 15.8 19.1 12238 239 65.0 31.0 34.2 14.5 24.6 23.7 9.6 6.0 1 mi. S Sun City, Barber Co., Kansas 8.0 3.6 15. 2_ 17.7 11075 232 66.0 28.0 34.2 14.4 25.0 23.6 9.9 5.9 3 mi. SW Arkansas City, Cowley Co., Kansas 8.0 3.4 15.0 17.0 12872 242 66.0 30.0 38.1 15.0 28.0 26.2 10.3 6.3 7.8 4.5 16-U.19.1 3 mi. SE Arkansas City, Cowley Co., Kansas 12894 12893 230 246 82.0 83.0 30.0 38.5 15.5 28.0 25.6 10.0 6.7 32.0 36.5 14.2 25.6 24.8 9.6 6.6 8.7 8.7 4.0 4.6 16.6 15.4 19.5 18.1 * 15 averaged. ° 16 averaged. | 6 averaged, t 5 averaged. t aproximate. 234 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. SUBSPECIES OF THE SPECIES GEOMYS BURSARIUS If Geomys lutes cens major Davis is correctly judged to intergrade with Geomys busarius majusculus Swenk, the name for the full species will be Geomys bursarius because bursarius is the oldest name among those available. Some new combinations of names are required. According to our present understanding, the eleven kinds of pocket gophers named below are properly to be arranged as subspecies of the species Geomys bursarius : Geomys bursarius bursarius (Shaw). Type from unknown locality in Up- per Mississippi Valley. Geomys bursarius majusculus Swenk. Type from Lincoln. Lancaster County, Nebraska. - Geomys bursarius hylaeus Blossom. Type from 10 mi. S Chadron, Dawes County, Nebraska. Geomys bursarius levisagittalis Swenk. Type from Spencer, Boyd County, Nebraska. Geomys bursarius vinaceus Swenk. Type from Scottsbluff. Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. Geomys bursarius lutescens Merriam. Type from Sandhills on Birdwood Creek, Lincoln County, Nebraska. Geomys bursarius illinoensis Komarek and Spencer. Type from 1 mi. S Momence, Kankakee County. Illinois. Geomys bursarius jugossicularis Hooper. Type from Lamar, Prowers County, Colorado. Geomys bursarius industrius new subspecies. Type from l 1 /? mi. N Fowler, Meade County, Kansas. Geomys bursarius major Davis. Type from 8 mi. W Clarendon, Donley County, Texas. Geomys bursarius llanensis Bailey. Type from Llano, Llano County, Texas. Villa-R. — Pocket Gophers of Kansas 235 LITERATURE CITED Allen, J. A. 1874. Notes on the mammals of portions of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Part I. On the mammals of middle and western Kansas. Bull. Essex Inst., 6 (no. 2) :43-52. February, 1874. 1895. List of mammals collected in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and in western Kansas by Mr. Walter W. Granger with field notes by the collector. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist, 7:259-274. August 21, 1895. Allen, P. 1940. Kansas mammals. Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Bull. Inf. Stud, in Educ, Number 20 (no. 5) : 1-62. May, 1940. Baker, A. B. 1889. Mammals of western Kansas. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci, 11:56-58 (for 1887-88). Baird, S. F. . 1857. Explorations and surveys for a railroad route from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. War Department. Mammals, Part I, xxxii + 757, pis. 17-60, 35 figs, in text, 1857. Black, J. D. 1937. Mammals of Kansas. Thirtieth Bienn. Rept. Kansas State Board of Agric, 35:116-217. Davis, W. B. 1940. Distribution and variation of pocket gophers (Genus Geomys) in the southwestern United States. Texas Agric. Exp. Station, Bull., 590: 1-38, 6 figs, in text. October 23, 1940. Hibbard, C. W. 1933. A revised check list of Kansas mammals. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 36:230-249. 1944. A checklist of Kansas mammals, 1943. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 47:61-88. Hooper, E. T. 1940. A new race of pocket gopher of the species Geomys lutescens from Colorado. Occas. Papers, Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, 420:1-3. June 28, 1940. Knox, M. V. B. 1875. Kansas Mammalia. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 4:18-22. Komarek, E. V, and Spencer, D. A. 1931. A new pocket gopher from Illinois and Indiana. Journ. Marnm., 12: 404-408, 1 pi, 1 fig. in text. November 11, 1931. Lantz, D. E. 1905. Kansas mammals in their relations to agriculture. Kansas State Agric. College Bull, 129:331-404. April, 1905. 1905. A list of Kansas mammals. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci, 19:171-178. 1907. Additions and corrections to the list of Kansas mammals. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci, 20 (pt. 2) :214-217. 236 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Merriam, C. H. 1890. Descriptions of twenty-six new species of North American mammals. N. Amer. Fauna, 4: v + 60, 3 pis., 3 figs, in text. October 8, 1890. 1895. Monographic revision of the pocket gopher Family Geomyidae . . . . N. Amer. Fauna, 8:1-258, 19 pis. and frontispiece, 71 figs, in text, 4 maps. January 31, 1895. Scheffer, T. H. 1910. The pocket gopher. Kansas State Agric. Coll. Ent. and Zool. Dopt., Bull., 172:197-233, illustrated. September, 1910. 1931. Habits and economic status of the pocket gophers. TJ. S. Dept. Agric, Tech. Bull., 224:1-27, 8 pis., 2 figs, in text. January, 1931. Swenk, M. H. 1939. A study of local size variations in the prairie pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius), with description of a new subspecies from Nebraska. Mis- souri Valley Fauna, 1:1-8. December 5, 1939. 1940. A study of subspecific variation in the yellow pocket gopher (Geomys lutescens) in Nebraska, and the geographical and ecological distribu- tion of the variants. Missouri Valley Fauna, 2:1-12. February 1, 1940. Transmitted May 80, 1947. PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1947 21-8188 S -NA-L. EL L_ &- UJ"v*<^wC£ ) Kari,^ A New Bat (Genus Myotis) From Mexico BY WALTER W. DALQUEST and E. RAYMOND HALL . ZOOL LIBRARY MAR -8 19' University of jtansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 12, pp. 237-244 December 10, 1947 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1947 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, H. H. Lane, Edward H, Taylor Volume 1, No. 12, pp. 237-244 December 10, 1947 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1947 22-1402 MUS. GO LIB zeoL MAR - 8 50 A New Bat (Qenus Myotis) From Mexico* I ■ By — ' WALTER W. DALQUEST AND E. RAYMOND HALL While one of us (Dalquest) was in a dugout canoe that was being paddled up a small unnamed tributary of the Rio Coatzacoalcos, through dense jungle, he grasped a decayed and termite damaged tree-trunk projecting approximately three feet above the surface of the water to steady the canoe. At that instant two bats were de- tected in one of the many small holes in the trunk, which was eight to nine inches in diameter. It was a simple matter to enlarge the hole and extract the animals. Superficially they resembled silvery- haired bats (Lasionycteris) but their naked interfemoral membranes and other features suggested that they belonged to the genus Myotis. Subsequently, study in the laboratory showed this to be the fact and revealed also that they are of an heretofore unnamed species which may be known as : Myotis argentatus, new species Type. — Male, adult, skin with skull, No. 19228, Mus. Nat. Hist., Univ. Kan- sas; 14 kilometers southwest of Coatzocoalcos, 100 feet elevation, Veracruz, Mexico; 2 February 1947; obtained by Walter W. Dalquest; original No. 7052. Range. — Known only from the type locality. Diagnosis. — Size medium for the genus (see measurements), tail short; foot long; ears and membranes black; pelage long (maximum length on middle of back 9 mm.) and black; upper parts with overhairs tipped with whitish es- pecially on rump; underparts from posterior part of thorax posteriorly with all of the hairs tipped with this same whitish color; skull with preorbital part small in relation to brain case; teeth small in relation to total area of palate; brain case much inflated; ventral margin of foramen magnum evenly rounded. Comparison. — From Myotis albescens (E. Geffroy) known to us by speci- mens in the United States National Museum from Paraguay (Tacural), Pan- ama (Tabernilla), and Nicaragua (Prinzapolca R. and Escondido R.), argen- tatus differs in: Body and foot longer; tail relatively shorter (57 and 58% of length of head and body versus 76 (62-83)% in albescens); tibia shorter; pelage longer, and black instead of brown; silver tipping of fur on hinder back markedly more conspicuous; precranial part of skull, when viewed from above, larger in relation to brain case; postorbital constriction less abrupt, that is to say, skull "longer-waisted" ; occlusal surfaces of teeth of equal area and therefore occupying a relatively smaller percentage of total area of palatal * Assistance with field work is acknowledged from the University of Kansas Endowment Association. (239) 240 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. surface; ventral margin of foramen magnum less deeply indented; ventrally prominent part of basioccipital twice as wide. Remarks. — The relatively slight wear on the teeth of the female of M. argentatus and the large ends on the bones of the wings indi- cate that it is immature. Its measurements, recorded below, aver- age smaller than those of the adult holotype, a male, and the silvery tipping on the upper parts is almost lacking from the pelage which is shorter than in the holotype. Myotis. From left to right, dorsal, lateral and ventral views. All X 2. * Figs. 1-3. Myotis argentatus, no. 19228, Univ. Kan. Mus. Nat. Hist., type. Figs. 4-6. Myotis albescens, no. 105664, $ , U. S. Nat. Mus., from Tacuaral, Paraguay; obtained on November 13, 1900, by Wm. T. Foster, orig. no. 128. Among at least American kinds of Myotis, argentatus is extreme in small area of occlusal surface of the upper molariform teeth in relation to the total area of the palatal surface of the skull. M . al- bescens previously was regarded as extreme in this feature. The distance across the third upper molars, from the outside of one tooth Dalquest and Hall — New Bat from Mexico 241 to the outside of the other, is 5.5 mm. in the holotype of argentatus and 5.4 mm. in a specimen of corresponding age and sex of albescens. The distance between the third upper molars, from the lingual side of one tooth to the lingual side of the other, is 2.9 mm. in argentatus and 2.8 mm. in albescens. In each of our two specimens there is no sagittal crest but instead a low ridge one millimeter wide which marks the space between the margins of the two temporal muscles. Allusion already has been made to the resemblance of the newly named Myotis argentatus to the silvery-haired bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans (LeConte). The whitish tips of the hairs are slightly more yellowish in argentatus but the difference is so slight as to be detected by only the most careful comparison. The remainder of the pelage in argentatus is black as in the darkest individuals of Lasionycteris. Among named kinds of the genus Myotis, the species argentatus most closely resembles Myotis albescens which, up to now has been recorded from as far south as Argentina, in South America, and as far north as Nicaragua, in Central America (Miller and Allen, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 144:202, 203, 1928). The differences detected be- tween the two species are indicated above in the paragraph of com- parisons and some other differences can be detected by comparing measurements given below with those of M. albescens as recorded by Miller and Allen (op. cit.: 204-205). In initial comparisons with albescens, only Paraguayan specimens were employed. It was felt that specimens of albescens from the northernmost localities of oc- currence might more closely resemble argentatus. Accordingly, we appealed a second time to Dr. A. R. Kellogg for comparative ma- terial and he lent us the specimens (alcoholics with skulls separate) in the U. S. National Museum from Central America. These also differ from our newly named bat in the same fashion as do the South American specimens. Further, the number and magnitude of the differences between albescens and argentatus greatly exceed any that can be pointed to between the American subspecies of any other one full species of the genus Myotis. Full specific, rather than mere subspecific, status, therefore, is suggested for the bat here named Myotis argentatus. Measurements. — The adult, male type, and the immature female specimen measure, respectively, as follows: Head and body, 55, 51 mm.; tail, 32, 29; tibia, 13.7, 135; foot, 8, 9; forearm, 33.0, 34.5; thumb, 5.8, 5.7; third meta- 242 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. carpal, 32.2, 30.5; fifth metacarpal, 31.5, 30.3; greatest length of skull, 14.5, 14.0; condylobasal length, 13.8, 13.0; zygomatic breadth, 9.1, 9.0; interorbital constriction, 4.3, 4.0; breadth of brain case, 7.5, 7.4; occipital depth 5.7, 5.7; mandible, 10.5, 10.0; maxillary tooth row, 5.3, 5.0; maxillary breadth at M3, 5.5, 5.7; mandibular tooth row, 5.6, 5.3. Specimens examined. — Two, from the type locality. Transmitted October 20, 1947. D «=7 -/vA-L Tadarida femorosacca (Merriam) in Tamaulipas, Mexico BY WALTER W. DALQUEST and E. RAYMOND HALL '. ZOQL LIBRARY HAR -8 !■ University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 13, pp. 245-248 December 10, 1947 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1947 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, H. H. Lane, Edward H. Taylor Volume 1, No. 13, pp. 245-248 December 10, 1947 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR., STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1947 22-1401 MUS. CO LIBRARY 1AR -3 1950 Tadarida femorosacca (Merriam) In Tamaulipas, Mexico - ' Dj>' ■ ' WALTER W. DALQUEST AND E. RAYMOND HALL On January 23, 1946, two pocketed free-tailed bats {Tadarida femorosacca, Catalogue nos. 17852 and 17853) were obtained in a large cave 10 kilometers north-northeast of the village of Antiguo Morelos, in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. This extends the known range of this species to the Atlantic Slope and more than 300 miles to the northeast of Zacoalco, Jalisco, the only locality in Fig. 1. Map showing localities of known occurrence of the pocketed free-tailed bat (Tadarida femorosacca) . central Mexico from which the species was previously known (see Shamel, H. H., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 78, art. 19, p. 13, 1931). The total length of the skull (18 mm.) and the basal length (15.0, (247) 248 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. 15.2) are less than recorded by Shamel (op. cit.) for any one of the eight specimens studied by him. Otherwise our two specimens an- swer the description of feynorosacca. They were found lying on the floor of the cave. One was dead and the other alive but incapable of flight. Shooting into the cracks of the roof of the cave more than a hundred feet high failed to dislodge other bats but stimu- lated a volume of squeaking of bats which indicated that thousands of individuals, possibly of this species, were ensconsed there. The cave had long been used by bats as attested by the large deposit of guano, much of which had been removed for fertilizer. Transmitted October 20, 1947. □ A New Pocket Gopher (Thomomys) and A New Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys) from Michoacan, Mexico BY E. RAYMOND HALL AND BERNARDO VILLA R. «. . ZOOL MAR -8 !•■ I y _J University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 14, pp. 249-256, 6 figs, in text July 26, 1948 University of Kansas LAWRENCE 1948 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman; A. Byron Leonard, Edward H. Taylor Volume 1, No. 14, pp. 249-256, 6 figs, in text July 26, 1948 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1948 22-3338 fMAR -8 1950 A New Pocket Gopher (Thomomys) and a New Spiny Pocket Mouse (Liomys) from Michoacan, Mexico E. RAYMOND HALL and BERNARDO VILLA R. A series of 17 pocket gophers of the species Thomomys umbrinus obtained in 1943 from points 3, 4 and 5 miles south of Patzcuaro proves upon comparison to be an hitherto unrecognized subspecies which is described and named as follows: Thomomys umbrinus pullus, new subspecies Tfype.— -Male, adult, skin and skull; No. 100151, Univ. California Mus. Vert. Zool.; 5 mi. S Patzcuaro, 7800 ft., Michoacan, Mexico; March 10, 1943; ob- tained by Hubert H. Hall, original No. 117. Range. — Known only from 3 to 5 miles south of Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Diagnosis. — Size small (see measurements) ; color black or between Cinna- mon-Brown and Snuff Brown; distal half of tail whitish and all of tail whitish in one specimen; lambdoidal crests perpendicular to sagittal plane of skull; posteroventral face of tympanic bulla rugose; jugal vertical (flat surface not oblique) ; interpteiygoid space truncate at apex with sides curved outward (see figure). Comparison. — From topotypes of Thomomys umbrinus supcrnus Nelson and Goldman, pullus differs as follows: More individuals wholly black (except distal half of tail); underparts lacking white; rostrum broader; braincase an- Figs. 1-3. Three views of the skull of the type specimen of Thomomys umbrinus pullus. X 1- teriorly slightly more expanded dorsally; lambdoidal crests perpendicular to sagittal plane rather than inclined posteromediad; interparietal broader, $ 5.7 (5.0-7.0) versus 4.5, and in $ 6.5 (5.6-7.1) rather than 4.8 (4.4-5.1); flattened middle part of jugal vertical rather than oblique; in side view, mastoid and paroccipital processes farther apart thus exposing larger surface of mastoidal bulla; incisors, in both upper and lower jaws, slightly narrower; molariform teeth smaller, interpteiygoid space truncate, at apex, with sides convex mediad, rather than V-shaped ; ventral face of tympanic bullae rugose in posterior half rather than smooth. (251) 252 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Remarks. — Among named subspecies of Thomomys umbrinus, T. u. pullus most closely resembles T. u. supernus, the subspecies next adjacent to the northward. Therefore, the results of compari- sons with only that subspecies are here reported upon. T. u. tolucae to the eastward is for one thing a much larger animal and has slightly less procumbent upper incisors. So far as we know, Tho- momys umbrinus has not heretofore been reported from Michoacan. Of our seventeen skins, eight are brown, six are black and two are intermediate in color. Most of these pocket gophers lived where there was a good growth of pine trees in the same areas where large pocket gophers of the species Cratogeomys gymnurus occurred. The field notes of the col- lector of the type of T. u. pullus record that when he was making a shallow excavation to reveal the gopher burrow in which he trapped the holotype, he found the burrow approximately five inches below the surface of the ground and that in digging deeper than was nec- essary he accidentally broke into the burrow of a Cratogeomys. Another member of our field party (E. R. Hall) when removing from its burrow a trapped Thomomys that was caught only by the hind leg, dug around the animal whose burrow was approximately six inches underground and in doing so he also broke through the roof of a burrow of Cratogeomys. The burrow of Cratogeomys was approximately sixteen inches below the ground. Nowhere else, ex- cept 3 to 5 miles south of Patzcuaro, have the authors found two kinds of pocket gophers living together. The two-story arrangement south of Patzcuaro was possible because of the different levels at which the two kinds of animals made their burrows and the two- story arrangement was accidental and exceptional rather than the rule. Measurements. — Average and extreme measurements of five adults of each sex, are as follows: Total length, male 184 (178-198), female 185 (174-194); length of tail, 54 (48-60), 53 (47-57); length of hind foot, 26.8 (25-29), 27.6 (26-29); weight, 86.1 (78.7-96.9), 74.3 (70.2-84.8) grams; basilar length, 30.2 (28.8-31.3), 28.6 (27.8-29.1); zygomatic breadth, 23.2 (22.3-24.6), 21.3 (20.8-21.8); least interorbital breadth, 5.9 (5.8-6.1), 6.4 (6.0-6.8); mastoid breadth, 17.8 (17.1-18.7), 17.2 (16.6-17.5); length of nasals, 12.4 (11.8-13.0), 11.5 (11.0-12.5); breadth of rostrum, 7.5 (6.9-8.2), 7.1 (6.9-7.3); length of rostrum, 14.1 (13.4-14.5), 13.3 (12.7-13.5); alveolar length of maxillary tooth-row, 7.0 (6.7-7.5), 6.9 (6.8- 7.0); palato-frontal depth, 13.2 (13.0-13.4), 12.9 (12.3-13.5). Specimens examined. — Total, 17, all from 7800 ft., Michoacan, as follows: 3 mi: S Patzcuaro, 1; 4 mi. S Patzcuaro, 10; 5 mi. S Patzcuaro, 6. Hall and Villa: A New Pocket Gopiiku 253 In 1943 a series of fifteen spiny pocket mice, Liomys irroratus, was obtained within a radius of five miles of Patzcuaro and, mostly on geographic considerations, the animals were assigned to Liomys irroratus alleni (Coues). In fact, in his "Revision of the Spiny Pocket Mice," Goldman (N. Amer. Fauna, 34:57, 1911) had thus identified the one specimen available to him from Patzcuaro. Crit- ical examination of the series, however, revealed cranial features not described in the named kinds from adjoining geographic areas, and comparisons showed that the animal from Patzcuaro differs sub- specifically from any named kind. The new subspecies may be known as: Liomys irroratus acutus, new subspecies Type.— Female, adult, skin and skull; No. 100171, Univ. California Mus. Vert. Zool.; 2 mi. W. Patzcuaro, 7700 ft., Michoacan, Mexico; March 10, 1943; obtained by E. R. Hall and J. R. Alcorn, original No. 3837 of Alcorn. Range. — Known only from the vicinity of Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Diagnosis. — Size large (see measurements) ; upper parts dark brown ; pos- terior border of nasals V-shaped with apex directed anteriorly ; frontomaxillary suture medially concave or rarely straight; interparietal subcircular; basisphe- noid wide; tympanic bullae large. Comparisons. — From Liomys irroratus alleni, acutus differs as follows: Color slightly darker brown on upper parts; size slightly less; posterior border of nasals V-shaped rather than truncate; frontomaxillary suture medially concave Figs. 4-6. Three views of the skull of the type specimen of Liomys irroratus acutus. X 1- or straight instead of convex; interparietal subcircular (anterior border) rather than triangular; basisphenoid broader; tympanic bullae larger and more in- flated. From Liomys irroratus jaliscensis (topotypes), acutus differs as follows: Color slightly darker brown on upper parts; size larger, without overlap, in external measurements and in basilar length, length of nasals and mastoid breadth; posterior border of nasals V-shaped rather than almost truncate; frontomaxillary suture medially concave or straight rather than convex; inter- parietal subcircular rather than quadrilateral; basisphenoid wider; tympanic bullae larger. From Liomys irroratus pullus, acutus differs in longer body, 254 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. shorter tail, slightly longer hind foot; all of upper parts, and especially upper side of tail, more brownish and less blackish; posterior border of nasals and frontomaxillary suture differing in same way as from alleni; interorbital region narrower in relation to length of skull; over-all length of skull greater; inter- parietal anteroposteriorly longer; tympanic bullae more inflated. Remarks. — This relatively large, dark-colored, spiny pocket mouse of east-central Michoacan differs from its geographic neighbors in V-shape of posterior border of nasals, semicircular shape of inter- parietal, medially concave maxillofrontal suture, wide basisphcnoid and larger tympanic bullae. The latter character is not constant. Intergradation with L. i. alleni is shown by specimens from Queren- daro in which the shape of the interparietal is exactly intermediate between those of topotypes of the two subspecies and also in that the basisphenoid is wider than in acutus but narrower than in alleni. Intergradation with L. i. jaliscensis is shown, by specimen No. 120275 (U. S. N. M.) from Zamora, in shape of posterior end of nasals, direction of maxillofrontal suture, and shape of interparietal. In each of these features the specimen from Zamora is almost ex- actly intermediate between acutus and jaliscensis. In large size of tympanic bullae and wider basisphenoid the specimen agrees with acutus, but otherwise is nearly as small as jaliscensis to which it is here referred. Actually the specimen could, with almost equal pro- priety, be referred to either subspecies. Measurements. — The measurements of two males, Nos. 100184, 100182, and average and extreme measurements of five females, are, respectively, as fol- lows: Total length, 257, 267, 244 (230-251); length of tail, 130, 128, 122 (105- 129); length of hind foot, 32, 31, 31 (30-33); length of ear from notch, 16, 17, 15.3 (13.0-19); weight in grams, 71.5, 65.1, 50.8 (44.8-61.8); greatest length of skull, 35.2, 34.9, 33.6 (32.7-34.2); zygomatic breadth, 17.7, 17.5, 16.5 (16.1-17.1); interorbital breadth, 8.4, 8.1, 7.8 (7.5-8.0); length of nasals, 15.1, 14.9, 14.0 (13.3-14.5); width of braincase, 15.9, 15.1, 15.0 (14.7-15.1); alveolar length of upper molariform tooth-row, 6.0, 6.0, 5.6 (5.5-5.9). The measurements were' taken according to the method of Goldman (N. Amer. Fauna, 34:10, 1911). Each of the specimens of which measurements are given above is adult; the transverse enamel fold has been obliterated in Ml, is represented by only an isolated lake in M2 (except in one female where all trace of the fold has worn away) and is present in M3. Specimens examined. — Total, 16, all from Michoacan, Mexico, and unless otherwise indicated in the University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, as follows: 3 mi. NW Patzcuaro, 6700 ft., 1; 2 mi. W Patzcuaro, 7700 ft., 5; 2 mi. W Patzcuaro, 6700 ft,, 2; Patzcuaro, 1 (U. S. Nat. Mus.); 5 mi. S Patzcuaro, 7800 ft., 7. For the loan of comparative materials we are grateful to Dr. Harold E. Anthony of the American Museum of Natural History, Hall and Villa: A New Pocket Gopher 255 Mr. Stanley P. Young and Dr. Hartley H. T. Jackson of the Bio- logical Surveys Collection in the United States National Museum, Dr. Charles P. Lyman of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and for assistance with the field work to the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and to Miss Annie M. Alexander. Transmitted April 1, 1948. □ 22-3338 S-A/A-L A New Hylid Frog from Eastern Mexico BY EDWARD H. TAYLOR MUS. ZOOL !AR -8 19! ) University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History Volume 1, No. 15, pp. 257-264, 1 fig. in text August 16, 1948 University of Kansas LAWRENCE 1948 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman; H. H. Lane, Edward H. Taylor Volume 1, No. 15, pp. 257-264, 1 fig. in text August 16, 1948 University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND. JR.. STATE PRINTER TOPEKA. KANSAS 1948 22-3339 P. IML 1AR -8 1950 A New Hyiid Frog frorm Eastern Mexico By EDWARD H. TAYLOR A small collection of Mexican reptiles and amphibians recently- acquired by the University of Kansas Natural History Museum contains five specimens of a species of the genus Hyla {sensu lato) which is here described as new. Hyla proboscidea sp. nov. Type. — University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, No. 23626, col- lected 2 km. west of Jico, Veracruz, Mexico, at an elevation of 4,200 ft., Oct. 28, 1946, by Walter W. Dalquest. Paratypes.— Nos. 23624, 23625, 23627, 23628, collected with the type. Diagnosis. — A medium sized member of the genus with known maximum length of male, 57 mm. Canthus rostralis well defined; tip of snout with a bulbous projection; fingers more than one-third webbed, foot nearly com- pletely webbed; tympanum distinct; skin smooth above, granular below; very prominent inner metatarsal tubercle, small outer tubercle; tibiotarsal articu- lation reaches to nostril; a well-defined outer tarsal fold; anal opening ventral, covered by a free triangular flap; pupil of eye horizontal. Description of the type. — Head longer than broad, the distance between the eye and nostril slightly greater than distance between nostril and tip of snout; canthus rostralis sharply defined, continued to above nostril; upper part of loreal region sloping abruptly, lower part sloping more gently to edge of lip; area in front of nostril somewhat swollen, the nostril large, directed strongly backward; tip of snout forming a short rounded proboscis; upper jaw rather strongly overhanging lower jaw. Width of an upper eyelid contained in interorbital distance about 1% times; horizontal diameter of eye about equal to distance between eye and nostril, about 1% times diameter of tympanum; tympanum distinct, its distance from orbit equal to its diameter, overhung by a glandular fold running back from eye. Choanae large; vomerine teeth in two elevated patches which lie between, and reach the posterior level, of choanae, the patches closer to each other than to choanae ; tongue rather small, subcircular, not or but very indistinctly notched behind, not at all free behind; opening to vocal sacs behind level of tongue, the openings a short slit directed backwards. (Vocal sacs not evident externally in type or paratypes.) Skin of dorsal surfaces generally smooth (under magnification surface mi- nutely corrugated and wrinkled) ; ventral surface of abdomen, the thighs, and lower part of lateral surface of body strongly granulate, the granules unequal in size and elevation ; breast, chin, and under side of arm with sparse granules or tubercles. Anal opening ventral, covered by a small, free, triangular flap; a small thickened fold, slightly free, on each side of anus partly covered by triangular flap. (259) 260 University of Kansas Publs., Mus. Nat. Hist. Arms rather short, upper arm slender, forearm much thickened; a small axillary web present; disks on three outer fingers distinctly larger than tym- panum, of first finger equal to or somewhat smaller than tympanum; outer fingers, between one-third and one-half webbed; on inner fingers webbing less than one-third; first finger more or less opposed to other three, its base widened, Measurements (in mm.), width, 1S.6. -Snout to vent, 58; leg, 86; head length, 20; head and the upper surface covered by a large patch of minute dark, horn-colored nuptial asperities, that extend to near the terminal disk; subarticular tubercles strongly elevated with numerous supernumerary tubercles on palm; a some- what enlarged elevated palmar tubercle; under surface of forearm with a row of distinct tubercles; other smaller scattered granules present. Toes more than four-fifths webbed, the membrane reaching the base of the terminal disks, on one side at least, of all toes save fourth; subarticular tubercles strongly Taylor: A New Hylid Frog 261 elevated, with numerous supernumerary tubercles on sole; a large elevated inner metatarsal tubercle; a small outer tubercle; a continuous, well-defined, tarsal fold extending entire length of tarsus. Tibiotarsal articulation reaches nostril when leg is brought forward. Color and marking. — General color of type (preserved in formalin, then transferred to alcohol) dull grayish purple, darker anteriorly and somewhat lighter and more mottled posteriorly; color very much lighter on sides with a few cream, dark-edged spots in groin and on sides of abdomen; front and back surfaces of thigh and shank with some darker and lighter flecking that is continued more or less on the foot. When submerged in water, very dim dark spots or bars visible on limbs; ventral surface dirty brownish flesh, without markings. Variation. — The series consists of five adult male specimens. It is presumed that the female i