PROCEEDINGS

PROCEEDINGS

OFTHE

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

ELEVEN NEW MAMMALS FROM LOWER CALIFORNIA.

BY

E. AV.

NELSON AND

E. A.

GOLDMAN.

Among

^the

^mammals

^{in the} Biological

Survey

^Collection

from Lower

California,

Mexico,

^{are eleven}

undescribed

_species

and

subspecies, ^all (>xcept

one

of

which

w^ere

obtained by ^us during our

^{visit to the}

Peninsula

in

1905-1906. The _excep-

tion

—

a Bassarisrus

— _was

_collected

_by

_J.

_E. McLellan on San Jose

Island in the

summer

of LS9o.

These

descriptions are j)ublished ⁱⁿ

advance

of

our

_report

on

the

mammals

^of the

Peninsula now

in course of preparation.

Eutamias merriami

meridionalis snbsp. nov.

LOWER

CALIFORNIA

CHIPMUNK.

Ti/jic from Aguaje de San Estel)an, about 25 miles northwest of San Ignacio,

Lower

California,

Mexico

(altitudeabout _1,200ft.). No._i;)U,597, U. S. National

Museum,

BiologicalSurveyCollection. $^adult. Collected October5, 1905,

by

^E.

W.

Nelson

and

E. A.

Goldman.

Original

number

18,268.

Generalcharacters.

— _Most

_nearlyrelated toE. m. obscurusbut smaller

and

_grayer.

Color of type (sliglitly

worn

October j^elage).

— _Top

of head grizzled gray tinged withbrownish and bordered by brownish ^line; markings on sides of liead as in obscurus, ^Ijut paler;

median

dorsal _stripe dull rusty brownish,

becoming

^{blackish on} posterior ^tliird

and

obsolescent

on

rump; middlepair^ofdark_stripesrustybrownish,^{similarto anteriorhalf} of

median

_stripe; outer pairof light stripes pale whitish gray; inner pair of light stripesdarker gray^{; sides of}

body

^{betweenforeand hindlegs}pale dingyhuffy; ^entire

rump ^and

^{outersides of hind} legspalegrizzledgray,

much

_paler than in obscurus

and

_differing little from _general shade of back; ^fore

and

hind feet

and

front of forelegs pale grayish,with _slight tinge of dull Imlfy; top ^{of tail} blackish,

washed

with pale huffy gray;

black on tail underlaid_l)ya huffy basal zone; middleofundersideoftail bright rustyrufous, bordered by^black withan outermargin ^ofgray.

Skull.

—

Distinctly smaller

and

slendererthan ineither merriamiorob- scurus; zygomatic^arches compressed,thus accenting general narrowness

2—

Proc. Biol. Soc.Wash..Vol.XXII, ^{1909. (23)}

24 Nelson and Goldman — _{New Mammals from Lower}

California.

of skull; braincase

much

narrower and less inflated than in obscurns;

huUiiismaller.

Measurements_oftype.

—

Total length,2;'.7; tailvertebrae, 117; hindfoot, 33. Skull: basilar length, 27; zygomatic breadth, 18.3; interorbital breadth, ^8.5.

Ammospermophilus

^leucurus insularis subsp. nov.

ESPIRITU

SANTO SPEKMOPHILE.

Type from Espiritu Santo _Island,

Lower

California, Mexico. No.

146,783, U. S. National

Museum,

BiologicalSurveyCollection. 9 ^adult.

Collected February7, 1906, l)yE.

W.

Nelson

and

E. A.

Goldman.

_Origi- nal

number

_10,072.

General characters.

—

_{Similar toleucurus but}

larger,

and

underside of tailgrizzled witliblack.

Color (fresh winter pelage).

— _Top

of head, back,

and

_{upper part} of sides grizzled brownish fawncolorwith a white _stripe along ^{eacliside of} backas inleucurus;backofneck

and

middle<ifsliouldcrs paler

and more

grayish thanrest of upperparts; shoulders

and

outsideof hind legs dull

fawn

colormucli lesssuffusedwith vinaceous than inpeninsuliv; under- parts including lower cheeks, ^{sides of} neck

and

_flanks, dull whitish;

npperside ^{of tail} blackish thinly

mixed

with dull white; underside dull whitish usually

more

orlessstronglygrizzled^witli l)lack

and

witlia ])lack border.

Skull.

—

Larger than ^{that of leticurus or} peninsulx; rostrum broader

and

heavier,

and

frontal area, including base^of rostrum,^fuller

and more

arched; bnlke proportionately smaller.

Measurements_oftype.

—

Total length, 232; ^tail vertebra^, 77; hind foot, 36. Skull: basilar length, 32.6; zygomatic breadth, 24.6; interorbital breadth, ^10.5.

Thomomys magdalenae

sp. nov.

MAGDALENA

ISLAND

POCKET GOPHER.

Type from

Magdalena

Island,

Lower

California,^IVIexico. No. _14(i,S32, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey Collection, c? adult. Col- lected

December

_3,1905,

by

^E.

W.

Nelson

and

E. A.

Goldman.

Original

number

_18,743.

General characters.

— _Most

closely related to T. h. anit;v of adjacent

mainland

but

much

_paler,

more

_bufly; skull larger,

more

massive and

much more

_{angular. Closelyresembling}russeolus_{in color,}butskullvery different.

Color (rather

worn

pelage).

—

_{Upperparts pale, slightly} ochraceons, bufly; underparts,including lips,dull

creamy

white; ^feet

and

tail tliinly covered with ^wliitishIiairs.

Skull.

—

Similar insizetothat_{of tyjncal} bottiebutnuich

more

_massive;

rostrum shorterand_heavier; ascending branches^ofpremaxilhebroader;

zygomatic^arclies

much

narrowerposteriorly(not strongly

bowed

outward as in bottx), sides^lessnearlyparallel^;interorbital regionbroader; brain- case

more

_{elongated, narrower,}

more

_squarely truncated posteriorly, lambdoidcrestlesssinuous; bulhc_larger.

Compared

^{with that of}anitx,

Nelson and Goldman New Mammals _{from Lower}

California.

25

larger, heavier; zygomatic ^arches

more

strongly divergent anteriorly;

brainease

more

_{elongated; palate} with _posterior

median

extension thinner; palatopterygoids broader; molar ^series heavier; incisors

more

decnrved

—

not projectingforward _{l)eyondtip of}nasals as in rvsseolus.

Mensurements_oftype.

—

Total_length, 255; ^tailvertebne, 87; hind _foot,

;-5(). Skull: basilarlength,38.4; zygomaticbreadth,^20.1; alveolar length

ofupper molarseries, 8.9.

Thomomys

^{bottae russeolus} snbsp. nov.

SAN ANGEL

I'OrKET(iUl'HER.

Type from SanAngel, 30 miles westof San _Ignacio,

Lower

California, Mexico. No. _139,920, U. S. National

Museum,

BiologicalSurvey^Collec- tion. cJ*

young

^{adult. CollectedOctober}15, 1905, l)yE.

W.

Nelson

and

E. A.

Goldman.

Original

number

_18,355.

Generalcharacters.

—

_Coloras in magdalena:,

much

_i)Hlerthanin either anittvor nigricans;skull smaller, lighter,^lessangular thanⁱⁿanitiv,with bulhe

more

_fullyroimded

and

basioccipital

more

constricted.

Color (rather

worn

_pelage).

—

_Upperparts

pale ochracetjus huffy

much

likemaydalenie;underparts^dull

creamy

white,varying^topale buff across belly; ^feet

and

tailthinly^clotliedwith whitishhairs.

Skull.

— _Much

like tliat of _arut:r, but _{smaller, lighter,} less angular;

bulla'

more

_rounded; basioccipital narrower; ^incisorssnuiUer;

compared

with nigricans^skullsmaller,with shorterrostrum; bulhe

more

rounded;

basioccipital

more

constricted,^lesstriangular orwedge-shaped,^sides

more

nearlyparallel.

Measureuicnts_{of type.}

—

_{Total length, 208;} tail vertebne, 73; hind foot (dry skin), ^29.5.

Vulpes

macrotis devius subsp. nov.

PENINSTLA DESERT

FOX.

Type from Llano de Yrais, opposite

Magdalena

Island,

Lower

Califor- nia, Mexico. No. _147,078, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey Collection, d" adult. Collected

December

13, 1905, by ^E.

W.

Nelson

and

E.A.

Goldman.

_Original

number

_18,771.

Generalcharacters.

—

_{Similar to macrotis but}

distinguishable by

much

darker, usually blackish,sides of nose,

and

sides of under jaws ^infront (sometimesincluding^entirechin); pelage shorter; tailsmaller

and

slen- derer.

Color (fresh pelage).

—

_Upperparts

silvery gray; forehead

and

cheeks huffy grayish; outer^{sides oflegs, collar}onunderside of neck,

and

_poste-

rior base of earsdeep ochraceous buff,deepest or most intenseon hind legs; sides ofneck, belly, undersideoftail

and

sides ofbodyalong flanks betweenfore

and

hind_legsvarying fromdeep^bufftopaleochraceous_buff';

throat,inguinal region

and

_usually

median

line of bellywhite;ears,,except atposteriorbase,huffy l)rown; feet l>uffywhitishal)Ove;ochraceous_huffy below; lips,sides of muzzle (sometimeschin)

and

tij)oftail blackish.

Skull.

— _About

_equalinsizetothatofmacrotis butrostrum broader

and

26 Nelson and Goldman — New Mammals _{from Lower}

California.

heavier; nasalsbroader, tapering

more

al>ruj)tly jxjsteriorly; frontalsless

prolongedanteriorlybetween nasals

and

maxilla-; eoronoid process nar- rower.

Measuremerifs of type (ad. d^).

—

Total length, IXiy; tail vertel)rje, 285;

hind foot, 129.'

Bassariscus astutus

palmarius

sul)sp. nov.

PALM GROVE

BASSARISK.

Type from

Comondu, Lower

California, INh'xico (altitnde 700 feet).

No. _140,102, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey ('ollection. cJ*

adult. Collected

November

_{8, 1905,}

_by

E.

W.

Nelson and E. A. (iold-

man.

_Original

number

_18,500.

Generalcharacters.

— _Most

like .^axicola])utslightlydarker; ^facial

mark-

ings^clearer

and more

strongly contrasted, usually blackish ordark iron gray

and

clear white; ^skull relatively narrower; ^differs from _raptor in smallersize,grayercolor,

much

shorterfur

and

slenderertail.

Color (fresh ^fallpelage).

— _Top

of headand back grayish^dral)sliglitly suffusedwith buff

and

darkened by^aslight

wash

ofblack on _{tips oflong} hairs; sides suffused with buff or pinkish buff, clearest along ^{sides of}

abdomen;

legs dull buffy, paling ^to

creamy

^{buff on feet; lii)s, anterior} part^ofcheeks,

and

narrow areaextending

upward

^{beliind and}over eyes whitish; ^sizeof nuizzle, orbitalrings and _])osteriorcheeksblackish; ears brownish on_posterior.base

and

_grayishtoward _ti]).

Skull.

—

_{Similar to that of}

raptor but _smaller; fourth upper premolar narrower; ^bulla'

more

rounded; ^size about as in saxicola but

zygomata

less widely spreading; fourth upper premolar narrower; interpterygoid fossa narrower.

Compared

^{with insulicola} interpterygoid ^fossa shorter

and

narrower,endinganteriorly near_{posteriorplane}of lastmolars(end- ing anteriorto this in insulicola); bidhe

more

inflated.

MeasuremodH

_{of type.}

—

Total _{lengtii, 7;!0;} tail vertebra', ;!()7; hind

foot, 72.

Bassariscus astutus insulicola _sub-^]). nov.

SAN

JOSEISLAND BASSARLSK.

Type from San Jose Island,

Lower

California, M(>xico. No. 79, 0:14,

U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey ('oiiection. 9 adult. Col- lectedAugust ^7, bS95, by^{J. E.} INfcLellan. Original luunln'r 1401.

Generalcharacters.

—

_Closelyrelated U)saxicola

and

_pahnarius butcolor

more

ochraceous thaneither; themostyellowish^{of all}thesubspecies.

Color (worn sunmieriK'lage).

—

_{Upperpartsdull drab}suffused with dull ochraceous _Imffy,

becoming

^{darkest on}top

of

neck and shoulders;

and

shading thenceintopaledull buttyon underparts; tops^offeet pale butty;

head_grayerthan

body

with poorly contrasted whitish and_grayface

mark-

ings as in saxicola.

Skull.

—

_Zygomaticarches l)roa(l as in xaxicola, hut hnllii' smalk'r

and

less inflated; interpterygoid ^fossa longer and narrower, reaching farther anteriorly ))etween^lastmolars; ^fonrtli ujjper ]»remolarnarrower and less riangular ⁱⁿ outline

owing

^{to wt'aker} develoimient ^{of internal lobe.}

Nelson and Goldman

Neiv

Mammals _{from Lomer}

California.

27

Compared

with palinarius iiiterpterygoid fossa longer, reaching further forward between last molars,

and

bullse less inflated.

The

skull differs from that of raptor ⁱⁿ sliglitly smaller size, with interpterygoid ^fossa usuallynarrower

and

_reaching furtht'r forward; ^fourth uj^per premolar narrowerau<l bulla* less iuHated.

MeanKrcniciits of type.

—

Total length, 715; ^tail vertebree, 362; hind foot, ^70.

Sorex

_{lagunae sp.} nov.

LAGUNA MOUNTAIN SHREW.

Type from T^a Laguna, ^Sierra Laguna,

Lower

California, ]\h'xico (5,500ft.). No. _147,110, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey^Col- lection. 9 ^adult. Collected January ^20, 1906, by ^E.

W.

Nelson

and

E. A.

Goldman.

_Original

number

10,0oC).

Generalcharacters.

—

_{Similar in}size to»S'. ornatus but underparts dark grayish

brown

instead of silverygrayish; ^tail dusky, nearly unicolor (in ornatufitricolor); feetdarker.

Color (ftype (fresh pelage).

—

ITpperparts nearly uniform dark _grayish brown, ^Ijrowuer than _ornatus; underparts brownish,only slightlyjtaler

than _l)ack; feetdusky, darker than ⁱⁿ ornatus;^tail blackish, under _side slightlypalerthan_upper.

Skull oftype.

—

Generally similar ^to that of ornatus but upper^outline ofbraincase higher arched, or rising

more

_abruptly frombaseofrostrum ajid

more

_{inflated, l)ringing higlu'st} point farther forward; molariform teeth_slightlynarrower, ^tliinlunicuspid smaller.

Measurements _oftype.

—

Total length, 08; ^tailvertebne, 41; ^hin<l foot, 12.5. Skull: breadth of braincase, 7.S; i)0st-])alatal length, 7.5; inter- orbital breadth, ^:).5.

Sorex

californicus juncensis subsp. nov.

Tl'LE SIIKKW.

Type from ^{Socorro, 15 miles south of}

San

_Quintin,

Lower

California, Mexico. No. _130,504, U. S. National

Museum,

Biological Survey ^Collec- tion. 9 (?)

young

^{adult. Collected}September ^1, 1005,by^E.

W.

Nelson

and

E. A. (4oldnuin. Original

number

17,010.

Geiiendcharacters.

—

_{Sizesmall; most}like callfornicns,buttailslightly longer; ^feet darker; underparts tinged with dull brownish _(grayish in californicus); l)raincasehigher, narrower, ^less datteued.

Color (rather

worn

_pelage).

—

Upperparts^dull

smoky brown mixed

^with grayish; underparts

plumbeous

^{overlaid with dull brownish} gray; ^tail bicolor,duskyabove, grayish below,

becoming

darker near_tip.

Skull.

—

Similartothatof californicus,but braincase narrower, higher

(more

^arched on upperoutline)^; third unicuspid very small, ^{as in cali-} fornicus.

Measurements_{of type.}

—

Total length, 101; ^tailvertebra^,41; hindfoot, 12.5. Skull: _greatest length (condyle ^{to front of} iiu'isor), l(i.2; basion to gnathion, i;!.0; breadth of braincase, 7.5; post-palatal length, 7.2;

interorbital l)readth, ^;).5.

28 Nelson and Goldinan — _{New Mammals}

from Lower

California.

Myotis

capitaneus sp. nov.

8AN JORGE

BAT.

Type from

San

Jorge,^:!Umiles soutliwestof

Comondn, Lower

California, :\Iexic() (altitude 100 feet). No. _14(),046, U. S. National

Musemn,

^Bio-

logical SurveyCollection, d^ adult. Collected

November

_{12, 1905,}

by

E.

W.

Nelson

and

E. A.

Goldman.

_Originalnum])er _18,526.

Generalcharacters.

—

_Externally

_much

_like

_M.

californicus, but_sliglitly larger with ears _shorter,

more

rounded

; tragus shorter,

more

_abruptly tapering,witliout distinctnotch alxivelobeatposterior base; foot larger;

skull

more

like 31. nigricaiis, ^l)ut rostrum still shorter, and bniincase

much

_larger,

more

inflated.

Color.

— Fur

ofupperparts^{rich1)rownish}cinnamon,

becoming

paleron head; underparts paleochraceous _{huffy, tinged} with lirowuish; nmzzle dusky.

Skull.

— Somewhat

like tliat ofJ/, irigricanx,^l)ut shorter

and

_l)roader;

rostrum decidedly shorter; braincase

much

_larger,

more

inflated ante- riorly, archiug

more

_a])ruptlyfrom rostrum; interorbitalregion broader;

ni>iier molars i)roportionati'lyshorter

and

_broader; crownof third upper premolardecidedlybroader than _long.

MeasuremenU. —

Total length, 92; ^tailvertelme,42; forearm (<lryskin), 83.(5; tibia(dry skin), 18.9; foot(dryskin), 7.4;

thumb

(dryskin), 5.8;

heiglitofear (dry skin), ^9.1. Skull: condylobasal length, 12.2; Itreadth ofbraiucase, (j.9; de{)th of l)raincase, ^5.1; maxillary toothrow,^4.5.

Myotis micronyx

sp. nov.

COMONDr LONG-EARED

BAT.

Ti/pr from

Comondu, Lower

California,

Mexico

_(altitude700feet). No.

14(),044, U.S. National

Museum,

Biological SurveyCollection, o* adult.

Collected

November

_{8, 19(15,by}E.

W.

Nelson

and

P:.A.(Goldman. (

)rigi- nal

number

_18,490.

General characters.

— Much

like .1/. crotis, but _{slightly smaller,} with proportiouately

much

smaller _ears,

thumb

and _claws; braincase

more

iullated anteriorly; free borders of interfemoral UKMubrane indistinctly ciliateas inerotis.

Color.

— Fur

ofupperparts, includingmiddleof face, lightgolden cinna-

mon

; sides of face thinly covered with dusky hairs; underj)arts gray, slightlytinged with^buff.

Skull.

—

_{Similarto ecotis,butnarrower;} braincase higher,moreinilated anteriorly,arching

more

_abruptly from rostrum; i)alatenarrower behind molars; bulhesmaller.

From

thatofmilleri theskull diliV'rsintlu'

same

charactersasfromerotis.

Miasureinents.

—

Total k^ngth, 90; ^tail vertebni',42;forearm _(dryskin), 35.8; ^til)ia (dry skin), ^{18.2; foot} (dryskin), 7.9; tliumii (dry skin), 5.7;

height^of ear (dry skin), ^14.(). Skull: condylobasal length, 14.5; zygo- matic_{breadth, 14.15;} breadth of braincase, 7.2; depth ^of braincase, 5.3;

maxillary toothrow,^G.2.