608 



MONOGRAPHS OF NORTH AMERICAN RODENTIA. 



named Ascomys mexiravns hy Licliteiisteiii, and his account, may be the earli- 

 est literature of tim suiijeet. We have no Linm -m name iu this fiiniily. 

 Bartrani noted the Floridan animal in 1791 ; but the first "species" pre- 

 sented in technical nomenclature appears to be the Mus hurmrius of Shaw 

 (1800). The earliest generic names are Geomys and Dijdoxtoma, imposed by 

 Rafinesque in 1817. Various circumstances conspired not only to a vague 

 understanding of the generic characters, but also to long delay in allocation of 

 the genera under major heads. Richardson, who, in 1829, handled various 

 species more effectively than his predecessors had done, merely adopted 

 Rafinesque's genera, falling into a misunderstanding respecting the character 

 of the pouches. So far as I am aware, ailer the period when "Mus" and 

 "Cricetus" vyere current appellations of these animals, the first attempt to 

 dispose of them in a formal classification was made by W.ierhouse in 1839, 

 when he treat J of Geomys, the only genus recognized by him, as a Muroid, and 

 as a member of his "family" ArvicoKdee. The same year (1839), Maximilian 

 established the second valid genus, Thomomyn, the various generic names 

 before proposed having been synonyms of Geomys. In 1848, Waterbf^xse 

 made the first decided step toward a correct appreciation of the subject, ^ 

 bringing Geomys into relation with Dipodomys, and by proposing the group 

 Saccomyina to contain them both. Gervais is said to have established or 

 recognized at the same time a family Pseudostomidce, equivalent to Water- 

 house's Saccomyina. Soon aftdrward, in 1855, Brandt* established the first 

 super-generic name Sciurospalacoides for these animals exclusively, relegat- 

 ing the Saccomyinc forms elsewhere. GeomyincB of Baird, Altton, and 

 others, and Geomyida of Gill and Coues, are other terms of exclusive 

 pertinence to this group, which certainly belongs to the Myomorphic series of 

 Rodents, as originally sketched by Waterhouse and more fully developed by 

 Alston, tiiough the question of its exact position among Myomorpfia, aside 

 from its obvious aftinities with Sacconiyidce, perhaps remains open. Its 

 Murine affpiltles may perhaps prove to hpvc l)een indicated by the name 

 Brandt applied, but its Sciurine relationships are not so clear. 



* 1855— BiiANUT (J. I''.). Bfitriigo znr uiihcru KunnliiitiH dor SUugetbivTe KuwIaudH. Vicrto 

 J nndlung. Bliuko auf dio ulliiialigeu ITortschritto in dci Griipplrnnf; dor Wa<;ur niit speciollor UoKic- 

 bnii); anf dio Gesc'oi hte dor Gattuiig Custur, beBoudcm der altwoltlicbun Uilwr. 4to. St. I'otcrHbnri;. 

 1855. )>ii. >0-3o0, pi. i-xi (AuH don Mdui. Mutli. ttc. du I'Acnd. Imp. d.'B BiionccR, ton.j v I, bcHoiidorH 

 nliged'iH'kt.) 



[SciuTotpa^ soidiis, p. 'MO. Kuliitoil fcrou[i8 cwlnVlialinl In ttilH paper are Hicrocallul {=:DipodotnyB), p Q.I1 unit {i. 

 ail, an<l PeroQiMtht fi*u 2' Tea n^iurtupataevid^, p. 305.. 





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