A MINEK. 355 



ool-lal, Shu-wal-lal being the name of the robe 

 made from the skins ; and this is unquestionably 

 the word' corrupted into Sewellel, and misused as 

 the name of the animal. In Puget's Sound the 

 NesquaUy Indians call it Shou/il; the Yakama 

 Indians, Squal-ldh; and the Sumass Indians, 

 Swok-la. 



A single glance at the conformation of the feet 

 would at once convince the most careless ob- 

 server that climbing trees was not a habit of the 

 Aplodontia. The feet and claws are digging im- 

 plements, of the most finished and efficient kind : 

 the long scoop-shaped nails, resembling garden 

 trowels ; wide strong foot, almost hand-like in its 

 form ; the strong muscular arms, supported by 

 powerful clavicles, proclaim him a miner; his mis- 

 sion is to burrow, and most ably he fulfils his 

 destiny. His haunt is usually by the side of a 

 stream, where the banks are sandy, and the 

 underbrush grows thickly; his favourite food 

 being fine fibrous roots, and the rind of such as 

 are too hard for his teeth. He spends his time in 

 burrowing, not so much for shelter and conceal- 

 ment, as to supply himself with roots. He digs 

 with great ease and rapidity, making a hole large 

 enough for a man's arm to be inserted. 



In making the tunnels, he seldom burrows very 



