XXV. 



Northern Pocket-gopher, Gray-gopher, Mole-gopher, 

 Mole, Pocket-mouse or Gaufre. 



Thomomys talpoides (Richardson). 



(Gr. ihomos, a heap, and mys, a mouse; L. talpa, a mole, and Gr. eidos, appearance, 



latinized into aides.) 



Cricetus talpoides, RiCHARDSON, 1828, Zool. Jour., Ill, p. 518. 

 Thomomys talpoides Baird, 1857, Mam. N. A., p. 403. 

 Type Locality. — Plains of Lower Saskatchewan. 



French Canadian, le Gaufre gris. 



Cree ? Ootaw-chee-goeshees' (according to Richard- 

 son^). 



OjiB., Po-tach'-i-ping-gu'a-shi, i. e.y 'blowing up the 

 soil' 



Yankton Sioux, Mah-hee-ah-cha'. 



Ogallala Sioux, W ah-hin-hay'-yah. 



Gopher is from the Y rtnch. gaufre, 

 a honeycomb, given because this , 

 creature honeycombs the ground. |j 



The Family Geomyidce are rodents itMM 

 about the size of a rat, they live the ^^ ' 

 life of a Mole, digging and dwelling 

 in underground galleries; their fur is ^:^-^ 

 soft and fine, but dull gray or brown, f 

 without conspicuous markings; their ^ „. ^ , ^u ,,, .« 



r o ' Fig 161. — Right fore-paw and hind-foot or 



eyes and ears are very small; their .'o4X'o.*'e"^'.T"^'''"' ^°'°' 

 front feet are enormously developed 



for digging, their thumb is a mere knob with a nail; their tails 

 are short, nearly naked, and, as Dr. Merriam points out, are 

 developed as organs of touch, very serviceable when running 



' F. B. A., 1829, I, p. 204. 



561 



