nAPLODONTIDiE— F1I8TORY AND nABITS OF U. UUFUS. 



595 



The last period in tlie histor)' of llio animal l)C(^ins in ISA?, witii llie 

 elaboration hy ProfeBsor Uairil of the material galncrcd l)y the natiiriiliNts of 

 the Pacific Railroad Explorations and Surveys, and the field-notes of the nat- 

 nralists themselves, published in the vi., viii., ahd xii. volumes of the reports 

 pertaining thereto. Besides Bainl's elabt)rate article and figures, we were 

 given copi is notes on tlie distribution, habits, &c., by Newberry, Cooper, 

 Suckley, and Gibbs. 



In 1857, the genus and species were fully treated by Professor Baird, as 

 far as the technical aspects of the cose were concerned ; his characterization, 

 especially of the cranial and dental characters, being even more elaborate 

 than that given by Richardson. The skull, teeth, and some points of external 

 structure, were refigured in several views. Professor Baird's material con- 

 sisted of an Exploring Expedition specimen collected by Peale, then as now 

 mounted, and from which his account of the species was mainly derived ; of 

 three skins secured by Dr. G. Suckley at Steilacoom, Wash. Ter.; and an addi- 

 tional skin taken by Lieut. W. P. Trowbridge at Astoria, Oreg., together with 

 two skulls from Puget's Sound, appertaining to Mr. Peole's specimens. 



Dr. J. S. Newberry's note, published in the zoological jM)rtion of the 

 vi. volume of the Reports in 1857, ran as follows: — 



"This singular animal, called by Richardson [after Lewis and Clarke] 

 the Sewellet, seems limited to a narrow district when compared with most of 

 those which, with it, inhabit the region it occupies. In Washington Terri- 

 tory it is found from the coast to the Rocky Mountains. It is doubtful 

 whether it will be found south of the Columbia,* either on the coast range, 

 in the Willamette Valley, or on the Cascades. Eastward, however, toward the 

 base of the Rocky Mountains, it may occur. I have seen two specimens, one 

 taken near Shoal water Bay, Washington Territory, by Dr. J. G. Cooper, t and 

 the other obtained near the base of the Rocky mountains, which were abso- 

 lutely black, presenting a striking difference in color from those obtained by 

 Lewis and Clark, Douglas, and others, which were brown, and of nearly the 

 shade of the muskrat." 



*ADdDboD and Bochuian fay, witbont qnaliflcatioD, tbot it bu "been procared in CBlifornla"; 

 and Baird remarks, " I bave beard of an Aplodouiia from tbe monotoioe of California, probably the rame 

 gpeolee, bat have not Men a (peoiniea " — poaaibly allodtDg to the statement of Andnbon and Bachman, 

 Just quoted, or to lome earlier ooconnt, which may have occasioned tbo remarks of both Iheau anthont. 



t There is some misapprehension here ; for (see beyond) we find Dr. Cooper saying, in ISfiO, tbnt be 

 never procured n specimen. The actual reference la probably to Dr. Suckley, who collected extensively, 

 and was a oolUborator of Dr. Cooper's. 



