OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. 2 1 



on the floor served to stop his course until he divided it with the teeth 

 rather than step over it. 



When placed in a vessel of fresh earth the Geomys seemed al- 

 most distraught. The smell of fresh soil acted as a powerful stimulent 

 and the animal careened about before falling to violent digging which 

 he carried on literally tooth and nail, biting the clods, rooting vio- 

 lently, and throwing back the earth witli the feet. This, however, 

 was but play, and it was only when given larger quarters that he began 

 the excavation of a burrow in real earnest. The position in digging is 

 with the hind feet well forward and the back strongly arched. The 

 earth is thrown back with the fore paws, and, as it accumulates under 

 the animal, the latter launches a vigorous kick with both hind feet in 

 the most ludicrously earnest manner. After a considerable pile is thus 

 formed behind the animal, he turns about and approximating the cal- 

 losities of the two fore feet in front and with the claws well up, he 

 pushes the mass before him by the action of the hind limbs until it 

 piles up in front of him, and he looks like a diminutive earth scraper. 

 It is in this way that the earth is brought to the surface and not in the 

 pockets as often stated. The whole process is accomplished in the 

 most brisk and business like manner possible. Thus, in the habits of 

 the animal we have the explanation of an osteological peculiarity of the 

 wrist. There is a strongly developed bone (the falciforme) not found 

 in many mammals which serves to support the callosity which in this 

 case, as we have seen, serves both as a scraper and an aid in prehen- 

 sion. The most noticeable fault of the gopher is his gluttony. The 

 amount he eats is alarming. Our pet seated himself calmly upon the 

 knee and disposes of one grass stalk after another most vivaciously, 

 eagerly seeking for more. Bread was especially desired and with a 

 shrewd eye for the future the beggar would fill both pockets and when 

 appetite and both pockets were filled he would empty the latter in a 

 corner of his den and promptly return for more. 



When given the liberty of the room, lie set off in a curious ran- 

 ter but usually returned to be placed in the b >\. where he constructed 

 a new nest every day. In the darkest portion he formed a nest of dry 

 L, r rass where the midday sleep was enjoyed. This sie>ta is very pro- 

 found so that one could frequently remove him from the box before 

 he awaked, which he did with a start and appeared to require some 

 time to get his bearings, 



