28 The Mammals of Colorado 
irregular, and soon after the animal was killed. During the 
sixth, seventh, and eighth years the antlers had six and seven 
points on a side. Antlers with as high as twenty-eight points 
altogether have been known. 
According to Seton, the name Elk for this animal first occurs 
in the narrative of Capt. George Waymouth's Voyage to 
Virginia in 1605. It is of course more properly applied to the 
European form of the ISIoose {Alces machlis), and a more 
correct name for the animal is undoubtedly "Wapiti," first 
recorded by Dr. B. S. Barton {Medical and Physical Journal 
of Philadelphia for March, 1806, p. 37). This is the name 
by which it was formerly known among the Shawnee Indians, 
and if it could be universally adopted would be by far the 
best appellation. 
ORDER RODENTIA 
This order, containing the gnawing animals, such as the 
squirrels, rats, and rabbits, is very well defined, being readily 
characterized by the chisel-like incisors of both the upper 
and lower jaws and by the absence of canines. 
Other distinguishing features are as follows: Feet 
plantigrade or semi-plantigrade, generally provided with 
five clawed toes; incisors growing continually during life 
from persistent pulp, those of the upper jaw either four or 
two, those of the lower jaw never more than two; premolars 
reduced, usually only one above and below, arranged in an 
unbroken series with the molars, which may be rooted or 
rootless; the molars always separated from the incisors 
by a definite space; skull with the orbit communicating 
freely with the temporal fossa and with the condyle of the 
mandible elongated antero-posteriorly so as to allow of a 
backward and forward and also a small lateral movement of 
the lower jaw; clavicles generally present; cerebral hemi- 
spheres smooth and not overlapping the cerebellum; intestines 
