436 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



a contrary view. Gray proposed the name T. gopher, but many years 

 after Daiidin liad given the tortoise a name. 



The next mention of the gopher in literature, succeeding that occur- 

 ring in Seba's unfortunate plate, is the full and tolerably accurate descrip- 

 tion given in William Bartram's account of his travels in the Southern 

 States, published in 1791.* It is described in this work under the name 

 "gopher." This appelation was undoubtedly first given to the animal 

 by the Sjianish settlers of Florida, the Spanish word '^ golfa," meaning 

 pit or burrow, being very appropriate, as pointing to one of the most 

 noticeable proclivities of the gopher, namely, the digging of pits or 

 holes in the ground. The derivation of the first syllable of the word 

 "mtmgofa," a name given by Holbrook in later years as one in popular 

 use, I have been unable to determine. It may be a corruption of 

 "munon," brawn or muscle, and refer to the great strength of the ani- 

 mal, or may be of African origin. 



Daudin, in his Natural History of Iteptiles, published in 1803,t appears 

 not to have noticed the remarks of Gmelin xv^om Linne's T. Carolina, 

 accepts Bartram's statement as to its being an entirely new species, 

 gives it the name Testudo poJi/phemus, and adds a latin diagnosis. He 

 also paraphrases Bartram's description and notes. 



In later times the goj^her has been described among European writers 

 by Bosc, in 1803, under the name "La-Tortue Gopher"; by Gray, in 

 1831, 1814, and 1855, under the names " Testudo polypliemus,^'' and 

 ^^ Testudo gopher.'^'' f Holbrook places T. depressa of Cuvier,§ among his 

 synonyms of T. polgpl\cimi.s, \\ but apparent!}' without reason, for nothing 

 relative to the tortoise excei)t the words " T. depressa, Cuv." appears in 

 that work on that page or elsewhere. 



Among the earlier American zoologists who have written regarding 

 the gopher I may mention Say, who wrote in 1825, using the name 

 T. pohjphemus;^ Le Conte, who wrote in 1829 (?), employing the name 

 T. Carolina;** Harlan, who wrote in 1829, applying the name T. poly- 

 phemus ;\\ and Holbrook, who wrote in 183G and 1842, using the, name 



T. polyphemus.^X 



A list of all the writings in which reference to this and the remaining 

 species of North American Testudinidce indisputably occurs, such as I 



* Bartram, W. Travels throusli North and South Carolina, &c. Philadelphia, 1791, 

 pp. 182-183. 



tDaudiu. Histoire Naturellc des Eeptiles, Paris, ii, 1803 (X), pp. 256-259. 



tBosc. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., xxii, 1803, it. 269. — Gray, Synopsis Reptilum, Pt. I, 

 p. 11 (T. pol yphemus) ; Gray, Tort. British Museum, 1844, p. 4 (T. gopher) ; Gray, Shield 

 Reptiles, Pt. I, 1855, p. 5 {T. gopher). 



^Regue Animal, ii, p. 10. 



II Holbrook, N. A. Herpetology, 1st ed., i, 1836,p.41, 



H Say, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. iv, pi. ii, 1825, pp. 207-208. 



**Le Conte, Annals Lye. Nat. Hist., New York, iii, 1828-1836, pp. 97-100. 



tt Harlan, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sei. Phila., vi, pt. i, 1829, pp.21, 22. 



tt Holbrook, N. A. Herpetology, 1st ed., i, 1836, pp. 41-46; 2d ed., 1842, pp. 25-30. 



