MAMMALS—TALPIDAE—SCALUPS AQUATICUS. 61 
The tail is very short and slender, about as long as the fore foot, and rather more than half 
the length of the head ; it is slightly constricted at the base, tapers gently to a moderately ob- 
tuse tip, and is scantily coated with white hairs, which are invisible, except on close examina- 
tion, and allow the tail to appear naked. The upper surfaces of the feet are similarly consti- 
tuted, and all appear white in the fresh specimen. On the basal third or fourth of the tail, 
the hairs are larger and darker, and more distinctly noticeable. 
The color of this species varies considerably. It is sometimes of a rather light and lustrous 
pure plumbago, paler below, and without any appreciable mixture of reddish brown. Usually, 
however, the hairs have a gloss of the latter color, particularly such as have been preserved for 
a time in alcohol. The precise shade of coloration varies almost with the specimen. I have 
never seen any as dark as S. townsendit, from Oregon, though several resembles closely in color 
the S. californicus of Ayres. 
A single specimen in the entire series before me (No. 2465, from St. Simon’s island, Georgia) 
has a large transverse blotch or patch on the abdomen, in which the hairs are yellowish white 
to the ruots. This corresponds to a similar variety of Scalops townsendii, figured by Audubon 
and Bachman, and described as a distinct species (S. tceeniata) by Leconte. 
Measurements. 
| | 
| From nose to the— | Tail to the 
Current Locality. end of— Hand.| Foot. | Width Nature 
number. | of palm.| of specimen. 
| Aly, | 
a eee Cy ee — eal Pe ee, } 
2215 | Blount county, Tenn---|.--.--|------|-------- 5. 00 |--..--|--.-.- -88 |] .80 -90 | In alcohol----- 
2203 | Jackson county, N.C--| .65 | 1.15 ODA. SO) 6/80) |e OOY\ |e ee oe | ee TDL Nees QO. =a a= 
2195 | Indian River, Fla.._..- - 60 | 1.25 SRO Saver Oy a) Oo er eet |e ee ae | erent Syke ees 1 (oe oe 
2207 Bigs ce heat a Vereen) tag teas | 4. Oe | eae ri ig ba sf ll (HA dieses ee 
2204 | Jacksonville, Fla_----- [60 | E06 1.50 | 3.54 tS Fol be i ee [ee aitD). | |Eeane doLssesas= 
Zaloe butewe Alaoscce oo Oooo oo 1.15 PSG" 4520") 1. ba PSS 82 65 80) iewaue docs. .26 > 
2192 Society Hill, 8. C..---- oa) | EL 1.82 | 4.15 Bie \cwecanl Beeson |e eee al ae ee G0naseeao5 
2172 | Spottsylvaniacounty, Va| .82 |------ 1.63 | 4.45 BO tere ere |e | 63) 5 Jeo 522 doe 
2174 Desets cee I easter sot fm 1.60 | 4. 65 SOE P0226 a= ase). ee | f(a eee 
2175 Doe 202 =-ssaane sey, |= = TGS tea eO) || LeODy ile Al ole eee el os 66. s|-nccn donzescand 
2191 Carlisle, Penn--....--- Shi eae 1 tahoe (ta kt a ape al (eee BOSy eee dovceapnas 
2190>>| Upper’ Darby, Penn---<|--+-.-|------ 1.80 | 4.85 OD) hee see tere Ai a ee doe ease ane 
mage ) Washington, D.O©2s-<-|---.=-|-...<- Toho" | eiOO |! Olen osaeleeacecloceee gl by dosscacen= 
2213 | Wethersfield, Conn..._|...... 1.00 f60 | 4.42 | a 19 este . 86 73 SOF Veaae W6-52286 
2212 | Washington, Miss. -...|.-.-.-|------ 1.75 | 4.38 CTS i a ba a ee hi does. acew 
The general range of this species is well indicated by the list of the specimens examined. 
I am not sure that the one last mentioned, from Blount county, Tennessee, is not the S. argen- 
tatus. Considerable differences exist in different specimens as to the breadth of the palm and 
other characteristics; those from the southern States appearing to have them less fully developed. 
I have, however, not been able to detect any positive characters by which they might be 
distinguished. 
