An adult female, no. 426a, Iowa State College, from Barnum, in the
brown winter coat, agrees with _primulina_ except that the orbitonasal
length of the skull is more as in _spadix_ and the presence of some
light color on the lower part of the hind legs suggests _spadix_. The
skull only, no. 440a, Iowa State College, labeled merely Webster
County, Iowa, is almost a duplicate of no. 426a. A subadult male, no.
427a, Iowa State College, from Moorland, Iowa, only about six miles
southeast of Barnum, likewise is indistinguishable from _primulina_
except for having a white winter coat and in being relatively broad in
the mastoidal region. Nevertheless, both of these animals are here
referred to _spadix_ because the average of specimens from this general
area is nearer that of _spadix_. No. 497a, Iowa State College, an adult
female in white winter pelage, from Ames, approaches _primulina_ in the
narrow rostrum and smaller teeth but otherwise approaches or even
agrees with _spadix_.
Two adult males, without external measurements, from Pilot Mound, Iowa,
have skulls quite like males of _longicauda_ from Alberta. The only
approach noted to eastern forms is the restricted color of the
underparts on no. 2856, Coe College, which has a brown winter coat. The
color of the underparts is not extended so far out on the feet as in
_longicauda_. Also the tympanic bullae of this specimen are a trifle
narrower. The other male, no. 2652, is in the white winter coat. The
one female from the same place, no. 2660, Coe College, in brown winter
pelage, has a skull notably unlike that of _longicauda_ or _spadix_;
the skull is narrower and practically indistinguishable from that of
the largest female skull of _primulina_ available from Lawrence,
Kansas, save that the tooth-row is much longer. The color pattern also
agrees with that of _primulina_ or _noveboracensis_ in that the color
of the underparts extends only as far as the knee on the hind legs and
is narrow on the belly. Nevertheless, another adult female, no. 120a
from Amaqua Township, some 6 miles southwest of Pilot Mound, is in all
respects typical of _spadix_. This is the more remarkable because
another comparable specimen from less than 20 miles to the southwest in
Worth Township is equally typical of _primulina_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account