256 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



Family Talpidse. (Moles.) 

 Front foot large, lateral, broad, with strong claws; hind 

 feet normal; limbs short; no external ear; eyes minute or rudi- 

 mentary; muzzle lengthened; body stout with no distinct neck; 

 pelage velvety ; front incisors not directed forward horizontally ; 

 zyo'matic arch present. 



This is a moderate sized family of about a dozen genera, 

 generally distributed over the north temperate zone. They are 

 carnivorous, feeding mostly on insect life obtained in burrowing 

 through the soil. There are no obvious changes of pelage with 

 agfc, sex or season. 



Genus Scapanus Pomel. (A digging tool. ) 

 Body spindle shaped, flattened ; eyes minute, concealed in the 

 fur but not covered by a membrane; front feet very large and 

 broad; tail short, scantily haired, constricted at base; skull flat- 

 tened ; palate slightly prolonged behind last molars ; first pair 

 of upper incisors very large. 



Dental formula, I, 3 — 3 ; C, i — i ; P, 4 — 4; M, 3 — 3X2=44. 



Scapanus townsendi Bachman. (For J. K. Townsend.) 



TOWNSEND MOLE. 



Very large; blackish above and below; upper unicuspid teeth 

 separated by equal intervals; first lower incisors not much smaller 

 than the next pair. 



Length about 185 mm. (7.30 inches) ; tail vertebrae 40 

 ( 1 .60) ; hind foot 25 ( i ) . 



Type locality, near Vancouver, Washington, 



The Townsend Mole inhabits the region in Washington and 

 Oregon between the Cascade Mountains and the coast range, and 

 southwest to Crescent City, California, where specimens have 

 been taken. ' 



