Dr. Richardson on Aplodontia, 8^c. 333 



Art. XLV. On Aplodontia, a new genus of the order 

 Rodentia, constituted for the reception of the Sewellel, 

 a burrowing animal which inhabits the North Western 

 Coast of America. By John Richardson, M.D,^ F,R,S.^ 



In the narrative of the memorable journey of Captains Lewis and 

 Clark across the American continent to the mouth of the Colmnbia, the 

 following passage occurs, " Sewellel is a small animal found in the tim- 

 " bered country on this coast. It is more abundant in the neighbour- 

 ** hood of the great falls and rapids of the Columbia, than on the coast 

 ** which we inhabit [mouth of the Columbia]. The natives make 

 ** great use of the skins of this animal in forming their robes, which 

 *' they dress with the fur on,-and attach them together with sinews of the 

 " elk or deer ; the skin, when dressed, is from fourteen to eighteen inches 

 ** long, and from seven to nine in width; the tail is alwajrs separated 

 " from the skin by the natives when making their robes. This animal 

 " mounts a tree and burrows in the ground precisely like a squirrel ; the 

 " ears are short, thin and pointed, and covered with a fine short hair, of 

 ** a uniform reddish brown ; the bottom or base of the long hairs, which 

 " exceed the fur but little in length, as well as the fur itself, are of a 

 ** dark colour next to the skin for two thirds of the length of this 

 " animal : the fur and hair are very fine, short, thickly set, and silky; 

 " the ends of the fur and tips of the hair, are of a reddish brown, and 

 *' that colour predominates in the usual appeaiance of the animal. 

 " Captain Lewis offered considerable rewards to the Indians, but was 

 " never able to procure one of these animals alive.*'* 



It does not appear that the enterprising travellers brought any of the 

 skins of the Sewellel to the United States, and the above notice is the 

 only real information respecting the animal that has reached the public 

 up to this period. M. Rafinesque-Smaltz referred the Sewellel provision- 

 ally to his genus j^nisonyxf under the name of Anisonyx? rufa; and 



* Lewis and Clark, Journey , Ssc III. p. 40. 

 f Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 330 in notis. 



Vol. IV. z 



