SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 351 
deringly, keeping my lonely vigil. A very brief 
examination revealed the fact that I had caught 
u magnificent specimen of the Aplodontia leporina, 
of which I had only read. 
Captains Lewis and Clark obtained some vague 
information about this animal, which is given in 
their journal of travel across the Rocky Moun- 
tains, in 1804. All they say of its habits is, 
‘that it climbs trees, and digs like a squirrel.’ 
They obtained no specimen of the animal, but 
saw, probably, robes made of the skins. It 
was subsequently described by Rafinesque, and 
by him named Anysonyx rufa, and by Harlan 
Arctomys rufa. In 1829 Sir John Richardson 
obtained a specimen, and, after a careful anato- 
mical examination, this eminent naturalist deter- 
mined it to be a new genus, and renamed it, 
generically and specifically. The generic name 
(Aplodontia) is founded on its having rootless 
molars, or grinding teeth—aploos, simple; odons, 
a tooth. It belongs to the sub-family Castorina, 
dental formula 37,3; 22. 
Sp. ch.—Size, that of a musk-rat; tail very 
short, barely visible; colour, glossy blackish- 
brown. Male, length about 14 inches; female 
resembling the male, but smaller. The fur is 
dense and woolly, with long bristly hairs, thickly 
