904 MONOGRAPHS OF NORTH AMERICAN RODENTIA. 
considering the latter as probably referable “to some species of Spermophile— 
probably Spermophilus townsendi”. They were led to this belief by finding 
that Lewis and Clarke ‘refer to an animal whose whole contour resembles 
that of the Squirrel, the thumbs being remarkably short and equipped with 
blunt nails, and the hair of the tail thickly inserted on the sides only. which 
gives it a flat appearance, whereas the animal of this article LArctomys lewis7] 
does not resemble a squirrel in its whole contour; its thumbs, instead of being 
remarkably short and equipped with blunt nails, have long nails nearly the 
length of those on the other toes, and the tail, instead of being flat with the 
hairs inserted on the sides, is quite round. It differs also so widely in several 
other particulars that we deem it unnecessary to institute a more minute com- 
parison.”* Audubon and Bachman were, however, misled in regard to the 
character of the tail, which is not “quite round”, but has ‘a flat appearance, 
and a long oval form”, as described by Lewis and Clarke. They have, in 
other particulars, evidently placed a forced construction upon Lewis and 
Clarke’s description. 
As the whole synonymy of the species turns upon Lewis and Clarke’s 
description, I quote it in full. ‘There is also a species of squirrel”, say these 
authors, ‘‘evidently distinct [from those they had just described], which we 
have denominated the burrowing squirrel. He inhabits these plains [of the 
Columbia], and somewhat resembles those found on the Missouri;f he meas- 
ures one foot and five inches in length, of which the tail comprises two and a 
half inches only: the neck and legs are short; the ears are likewise short, 
obtusely pointed, and lie close to the head, and the aperture larger than will 
generally be found among burrowing animals. The eyes are of a moderate 
size, the pupil black, and the iris of a dark sooty brown: the whiskers are 
full, long, and black: the teeth, and, indeed, the whole contour, resemble 
those of the squirrel: each foot has five toes; the two inner ones of the fore 
feet [meaning, evidently, the inner toe of each foot] are remarkably short, and 
are equipped with blunt nails: the remaining toes on the front feet are long, 
black, slightly curved, and sharply pointed: the hair of the tail is thickly 
inserted on the sides only, which gives it a flat appearance, and a long oval 
form: the tips of the hair forming the outer edges of the tail are white, the 
other extremity of a fox red: the under part of the tail resembles an iron 
* Quad. N. Amer. iii, p. 34. 
+ Their “ Barking Squirrel”, = Cynomys ludovicianus. 
