76 BEVISION OF AMERICAN MOLES— TRUE. vol.xix. 



1894, but this will not affect the two taken in the latter year. More 

 speci'ueiis will be needed before the exact dates of molting can be 

 ascertained.' 



HISTORY OF PARASCALOPS BREWERI. 



This species was first made known by r>achman in 1842,- under the 

 name of Scalops breiceri. Afterwards, in 1848, it was transferred by 

 Pomel-' to his genus iScapanus and two years ago I made it the type 

 of a separate genus, which I named Parascalops.^ 



In 1879, Dr. Cones recommended the use of the name Scapanus amcri- 

 crtw?<.s-'for the species, on tiie ground that Harlan, in his Fauna Ameri- 

 cana,^ published in 1825, employed at tlie head of a description, which 

 he (Dr. Coues) thought applicable to the present species, the name 

 '■'■Tdlpa americnna,'^ derived from a manuscript of William Barton. This 

 view is untenable, however, because Harlan's description is wholly a 

 translation, word for word and paragraph for paragraph, of Desma- 

 rest's description of Talpa europwa^'' with only a word or a sentence 

 here and there omitted. Even the measurements are included. It is 

 evident, therefore, that Harlan copied nothing from Barton's manu- 

 script, and that the latter's name is a nomen nudum. 



In support of his position Dr. Coues cites the remark of Audubon 

 and Bachman that " Marian had described the skull of the species we 

 have since described and figured as Scalops Brewerii, having forty-four 

 teeth."" These tiuthors were deceived, however, for Harlan's description 

 of the skull in question is a literal translation of Desmarest's descrip- 

 tion of skull characters of the genus Talpa. 



There were specimens of Brewer's mole in the Museum of the 

 Zoological Society of London prior to 1829. Richardson knew of 

 their existence, but thought that they were "true moles'' — that 

 is, representatives of the genus Talpa.'-' Audubon and Bachman 

 examined them at a later date and found that thej^ were specimens 

 of Brewer's mole.'" 



' In Mr. Bangs's follection a male taken at White Snlphur Springs, West Virginia. 

 April 2!), lias the new far on all the lower surfaeee except the posterior part of the 

 abdomen, while on the rest of the body the old fur is still in plaee with the new 

 comealed nnder it. A young male taken at the same place May 31 has all summer 

 fnr. 



"Boston Journ. Xat. Hist., IV, 1842, p. 32. 



3 Arch. Sci. Phys. et Nat., IX, 1848, p. 247, 



^Proc. U. S. Kat. Mus., XVII, 1894, p. 242. 



^Anier. Xat., XIII, 1879, pp. 189-190, 



'■•Page 43. 



'Maniinalogie, pt. 1, 1820, p. 160. 



"Audubon A: Bachman, Quadrupeds of North America, III, IS.'il, p. 219. 



^Richardson, Fauna Bor. Amer, Mam., 1829, p. 12. These specimens are probably 

 X'os. 163c and 113*?, marked Talpa vuropaa with a query in Waterhouse's Cat. Mus. 

 Zool. Soc. London, 1838, p. 16. They were presented by .Joshua Brookes. 



'"Audubon &, Bachman, Quad. North Amer., Ill, p. 254, See also Godman, Amer, 

 Nat, Hist,, 1, 1831, p. 106, footuote. 



