Ellerman (1940, 1:426) gave _Eutamias_ and _Neotamias_ equal subgeneric rank with _Tamias_ under the genus _Tamias_; on pages 427-428 he quoted Merriam, as I have done above, and later, after quoting the key to the genera and subgenera of chipmunks of Howell (1929:11), Ellerman wrote (_op. cit._: 428-429), "This key convinces me that all these forms must be referred to one genus only. The characters given to separate '_Eutamias_' from _Tamias_ are based only on the absence or presence of the functionless premolar, and on the colour pattern. If colour pattern is to be used as a generic character, it seems _Citellus suslicus_ will require a new name when compared with _C. citellus_, etc." And again, "The Asiatic chipmunk is intermediate between typical _Tamias_ and the small American forms in many characters." To substantiate this, Ellerman (_loc. cit._) quotes Howell (_loc. cit._), in comparing the subgenera _Eutamias_ and _Neotamias_, as follows: "'the ears [of subgenus _Eutamias_] are broad, rounded, of medium height, much as in _Tamias_; postorbital broad at base, tapering to a point, much as in _Tamias_; interorbital constriction slight, as in _Tamias_; upper molariform tooth rows slightly convergent posteriorly, as in _Tamias_.'" Ellerman (_loc. cit._) again quotes Howell (_loc. cit._), "'_Eutamias_ of Asia resembles _Tamias_ of North America and differs from American _Eutamias_ in a number of characters, notably the shape of the anteorbital foramen, the postorbital process, the breadth of the interorbital region, the development of the lambdoidal crest, and the shape of the external ears. On the other hand, American _Eutamias_ agrees with the Asiatic members of the genus in the shape of the rostrum, the well-defined striations of the upper incisors, the presence of the extra peg-like premolar, and in the pattern of the dorsal stripes.'" Bryant (1945:372) wrote, "I am convinced that Ellerman's interpretation of the relationships of the chipmunks is correct." After commenting that the presence or absence of P3, "is of significance only in distinguishing between species of squirrels," Bryant adds that "The other differences between the eastern and the western chipmunks do not appear to be of sufficient phylogenetic importance to warrant the retention of the two groups as genera." METHODS, MATERIALS, AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS