OF DENISON UNIVERSITY. 
2 I 
on the floor served to stop his course until he divided it with the teeth 
rather than step over it. 
When placed in a vessel of fresh earth the Geomys seemed al- 
most distraught. The smell of fresh soil acted as a powerful stimulent 
and the animal careened about before falling to violent digging which 
he carried on literally tooth and nail, biting the clods, rooting vio- 
lently, and throwing back the earth with the feet. This, however, 
was but play, and it was only when given larger quarters that he began 
the excavation of a burrow in real earnest. The position in digging is 
with the hind feet well forward and the back strongly arched. The 
earth is thrown back with the fore paws, and, as it accumulates under 
the animal, the latter launches a vigorous kick with both hind feet in 
the most ludicrously earnest manner. After a considerable pile is thus 
formed behind the animal, he turns about and approximating the cal- 
losities of the two fore feet in front and with the claws well up, he 
pushes the mass before him by the action of the hind limbs until it 
piles up in front of him, and he looks like a diminutive earth scraper. 
It is in this way that the earth is brought to the surface and not in the 
pockets as often stated. The whole process is accomplished in the 
most brisk and business-like manner possible. Thus, in the habits of 
the animal we have the explanation of an osteological peculiarity of the 
wrist. There is a strongly developed bone (the falciforme) not found 
in many mammals which serves to support the callosity which in this 
case, as we have seen, serves both as a scraper and an aid in prehen- 
sion. The most noticeable fault of the goplier is his gluttony. The 
amount he eats is alarming. Our pet seated himself calmly upon the 
knee and disposes of one grass stalk after another most vivaciously, 
eagerly seeking for more. Bread was especially desired and with a 
shrewd eye for the future the beggar would fill both pockets and when 
appetite and both pockets were filled he would empty the latter in a 
corner of his den and promptly return for more. 
When given the liberty of the room, he set off in a curious can- 
ter but usually returned to be })laced in the box, where he constructed 
a new nest every day. In the darkest portion he formed a nest of dry 
grass where the midday sleep was enjoyed. This siesta is very pro- 
found so that one could frequently remove him from the box before 
he awaked, which he did with a start and appeared to require some 
time to get his bearings. 
