RODENTIA GEOMYINAE GEOMYS CLARKII. 383 



GEOMYS OLARKII, Baird. 



Pecos Gopher. 



Gwmys dariii, BAIRD, Pr. A. N. Sc. Ph. VII, April, 1855, 332. 



SP. CH. Upper incisors with a single deep groove bisecting the surface, the portions on either side similar. Fore feet 

 nearly equal to or rather shorter than the hinder ones. Second claw of the hand reaching as far as the fourth. Pouches 

 small. Fur soft and full. 



Color above, uniform yellowish brown, the hairs with dusky tips. Beneath, paler and grayer. Cheek pouches much like 

 the surrounding region. 



This species is not of large size, compared with some others with deep grooves in the incisors. 

 The incisors are broad ; the upper ones with a single deep broad groove, with rounded edges 

 down their very centre, the portions at either side being of the same width and nearly 

 symmetrical. The form is stout and the skull very broad and massive. The cheek pouches, as 

 shown in the dried skins, are unusually small at their mouth, although extending pretty deep. 

 These are well lined with hair throughout. The external ears are very rudimentary, consisting 

 merely of a thickened ridge encircling the aperture, without any distinct flap. The whiskers 

 are moderately long, whitish, with a few black ones intermixed. The tail, which is contained 

 from two to two and a half times in the body, is covered rather thinly with stiff longish hairs, 

 which are far enough apart to show an indistinct verticillation of scales on the skin ; the hairs 

 are more crowded towards the tip. The tail cannot, however, be called naked, although more 

 sparsely covered than in the G. bursarius. 



The feet are very large ; the hands when straightened -out are about equal to the feet proper. 

 The middle claw as measured above, when applied to the palm, reaches from the end of the third 

 finger to the base of the tubercle. Measured below, it is contained not quite two and a half 

 times in the total length. The 2d and 4th fingers, with their claws, are almost exactly equal 

 in length, both fingers and claws respectively, although the fourth claw is stoutest. The 5th 

 claw reaches nearly to the end of the 4th finger, (exclusive of claw,) the first to that of the 5th 

 finger. The ball of the wrist is very large, and bordered behind by an oblique fringe of stiff 

 hairs, the same also margining the fingers. The claws are very long, curved, compressed and 

 acuminate towards the tip beneath. The hind feet are broad ; the claws small, the first and 

 second spoon-shaped, and respectively larger and reaching further than the fourth and fifth. 



The fur is everywhere remarkably soft and full, with a good deal of lustre, with little or none 

 of the stiffness and harshness of some other species. The whole upper surface of the head and 

 back is a rather light and dull yellowish brown, the tips of the hairs being finely dark brown 

 or black, slightly clouding the ground color. This yellowish tint extends about half way down 

 the sides, with little of the clouding, however, and then begins a purer paler tint of straw 

 yellowish brown, darker anteriorily. The hairs are everywhere dull plumbeous at the base, 

 which is shown a good deal on the sides where the fur is thin. The inside of the pouches is 

 much like the anterior portion of the under surface without any indication of patches of color. 

 The sparsely haired feet and tail are yellowish brown, somewhat plumbeous along the toes and 

 near the tip of the tail. 



A specimen of this species collected in western Texas by Dr. Kennerly, in July, between the 

 Pecos and Red rivers, agrees in all essential points, though the colors above are a little darker. 



