1915.] 



THE FAMILY TALPID^. 



23 



of these two forms, many papers on the habits, anatomy, and 

 taxonomy of American moles appeared — the result of an interest 

 aroused largely by the odd habits, specialized anatomy, and unknown 

 relationships of the group. To discuss here these almost innumer- 

 able writings would be impracticable, and only the more important 

 taxonomic revisions and synopses and the first usage of current 

 generic names will be mentioned. All other generic, specific, and 

 subspecific names will be discussed in their proper sequence. 



The American Talpidse were confused by early zoologists with the 

 genus Sorex and the European genus Tal'pa until the year 1811, when 

 lUiger based the genus Condylura ^ upon Sorex cristatus Linnaeus, and 

 the genus Scalops ^ upon Sorex aquaticus Linnaeus. The generic name 

 Scahps had been used previously by Cuvier ^ who, however, gave no 

 description or type species. The name Scalops was generally used 

 for the common mole of eastern United States until 1904, when 

 Palmer* revived the accepted name, Scalopus Geoffrey,^ which ap- 

 parently had never been employed since proposed in 1803. 



One of the first important treatments of a genus of American 

 moles, other than accounts in books on general natural history, is 

 given by Bachman,® who revised the genus Scalops, including therein 

 the genera now recognized as Scalopus, Scapanus, and Parascalops, 

 He remarked upon the morphology and distribution of Scalops 

 aquaticus and Scalops townsendii, and described two new species 

 under the names Scalops Ireweri and Scalops latimanus. All of these 

 species are recognized in the present revision. 



The genus Scapanus was proposed by Pomel,^ in 1848, to include 

 Bachman's two species, Scalops tovmsendii and Scalops hreweri. The 

 type of the genus Scapanus automatically became Scalops tovmsendii 

 Bachman when True,^ nearly fifty years after Pomel's pubhcation, 

 described the genus Parascalops and designated Scalops hreweri 

 Bachman as its type. 



The genus Scalops was restored to the genus Talpa by Le Conte ^ 

 in 1854, but his classification was not adopted by zoologists. He 

 divided Talpa into three groups: under group 1 he included the 

 European genus known to-day as Talpa; under group 2 the modern 

 genera Scapanus and Parascalops; and under group 3 the genus now 

 known as Scalopus. In his revision he described two new forms, 

 one of which, Talpa reposta, is a synonym of Parascalops hreweri 



» niiger, C, Prod. Syst. Mamin. et Avium, p. 125, 1811. 



2 nUger, loc. cit., p. 126, 1811. 



3 Cuvier, G., Lemons d'Anat. Comp., vol. 1, tab. 1, 1800. 



< Palmer, T. S., Index Generum Mamm., N. Am. Fauna No. 23, p. 620, Jan. 23 1904, 



6 Geoflroy Saint Hilaire, t.., Cat. Mamm. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat., p. 77, 1803. 

 fi Bachman, J., Boston Joum. Nat. Hist., vol. 4, pp. 26-35, January, 1842. 



7 Pomel, A., Archiv. Sci. Phj'^. et Nat., vol. 9, p. 247, November, 1848. 



8 True, F. W., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 17, p. 242, April 26, 1894. 



9 1.e Conte, Joseph, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 6, 1853, pp. 326-327, 1854. 



