GOODE ON THE HABITS OF GEOMYS TUZA. 285 



points, and one tunnel serves as a passage for a community, though fierce bat- f 

 ties" must often ensue when two rival claimants meet in a common highway. 



The nests are large chambers, one or two feet from the main tunnel, ' 

 with which they are connected by side-passages, which leave nearly at right 

 angles. Here the miners lay up a supply of provisions, and the chambers 

 are often found to contain a half-bushel of sweet-potatoes cut up into chunks 

 as large as peach-stones, and of convenient size to be carried in the pockets. 

 The salamander is a liberal provider. In this region, cellars are unknown, and 

 sweet-potatoes are stored in heaps at the surface, covered with straw and sand. 

 The salamanders are cunning enough not to throw up sand-heaps in the 

 vicinity of these potato-heaps, but remove the loose earth into their old tun- 

 nels. When they once get access to the "tater-hake,'' they quickly remove its 

 contents, and the owner wakes up the some morning to find his cache a hollow 

 pretense. In these side-chambers, the salamanders rear their young, building 

 a nest of grass, pine-needles, and live-oak leaves. I found them breeding in 

 April. 



The color of Geomys tuza is quite constant, light reddish-brown above, 

 darker along the back, and lighter yellowish-brown beneath. One specimen 

 was caught for me which showed a decidedly melanistic tendency, being 

 nearly black. The measurements of a very large male are as follows : Nose 

 to eye, li inches ; nose to ear, If ; nose to root of tail, lis ; tail from root to 

 end of vertebrae, 3 ; arm, fore foot to end of claws, II; leg, hind foot from 

 heel to end of claws, 11 ; muzzle to bottom of cheek-pouch, 3; circumfer- 

 ence of expanded mouth of pouch, 5 ; distance from tip to tip of the longest 

 toes of the fore feet, when stretched apart at right angles with the body, 75; 

 same measurement applied to hind feet, 61; girth of body behind shoulders, 

 5 ; distance from eye to eye, I ; distance from ear to ear, 11. 



The contents of one of the cheek-pouches in sand filled an old-fashioned 

 silver tablespoon, heaped full. The contents of the pouch of an ordinary 

 salamander will fill a dessertspoon in the same way. 



[SEPAEATELY EEPPJNTED FROM THE REPORT OF Maj. J. W. POWELL'S EXPLORATION 



OF THE COLORADO RIVER OF THE WEST AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. EXPLORED 



IN 1869, 1870, 1871, AND 1872, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SECRETARY 



OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. Chap. XIII, pp. 215 et seqq. ] 



