61 
their civilization, by introducing a 
subject which had been overlooked 
by all, even Humboldt, and Macul- 
loh. 
Two species of deer, the Mexican 
and Guyana deer must be added to 
the table, also the Puda goat of Mo- 
lina tamed in Chili: and 5 species of 
birds, the partridges of Cuba and 
South America, besides the Ameri- 
can swan and pelican, both of which 
I have seen domesticated. Thus 
the American domestic animals will 
be increased to 120 species. I have 
also seen buffaloes, elks and deer in 
parks in Kentucky, in freedom, yet 
coming at the call to be fed with 
corn or salt, and never endeavour- 
ing to escape from a park merely 
surrounded by a common fence. 
Such was the park of Col. Geo. 
Thompson at Shawanee Spring near 
Harrodsburg. 
-^©£- 
7. ZOOLOGY. 
On the Moles of North America and 
two new species from Kentucky . 
Br C. S. RAFiNEsauE. 
The moles like many of the small 
quadrupeds of this continent, are 
hardly known and distinguished as 
yet. Several of them have been 
mixtin the genera talpa, sorex , sca- 
lops , spalax , condylura , $*e. of the 
naturalists. In Harlan Fauna Ame- 
ricana the G. spalax is omitted, as 
well as the tuzan of Mexico and 
Louisiana, and the N. G. lately dis- 
covered in Maine. He has only one 
mole or talpa of North America and 
he deems it the T. europea saying in 
the character fur black , and in the 
description/wr cinereous, fan on the 
throat , $*c. and then he has 4 varie- 
ties spotted , white , yellow and cine- 
reous again. 
All the animals burrowing and 
raising the earth in ridges are 
called moles in the vulgar language: 
although they may not all be talpa', 
the shrews are the G. sorex . 
In 1814 I distinguished one of the 
moles found in the Atlantic States 
by the name of talpa cupreata 
(precis, sp. 7.) which I had observed 
in 1802, it differs from the European 
kind, which I have seen in Europe , 
by tail one seventh of whole length, 
colour of a shining brown with cop- 
pery purplish shades, throat slightly 
fulvous. The European mole may 
be found somewhere in North Ame- 
rica, but I have never seen it. 
In 1820 I described in my Annals 
of Nature, sp. 5. the spalax vittata , 
with striped back, &c. The com- 
pilers who seldom travel and neglect 
the published labours of travellers 
who have wandered in search of 
knowledge; have not noticed these 
two species. This last however has 
been also seen by my friend Audu- 
bon, who first made it known to me, 
and is inserted in the English Jour- 
nal of Zoology of 1822. The G. 
spalax of Erxleben contains the mole 
rats without tails. 
Mr. Harris of Machias in Maine, 
has discovered and described a very 
singular mole of that State, which 
he deems a N. G. and calls astro - 
mycter prarinatus. Not being yet 
introduced in the books of compilers, 
Pll give a short account of it. G. 
astromycter. Snout stellated, no ex- 
ternal ears, eyes small, legs short 
5 toes to each, anterior scaly with 
long strait claws, posterior longer 
with shorter curved claws, tail scaly, 
fusiform, with thin hairs. 
Sp. A. prasinatus . Hair glossy 
green, snout naked long with earti- 
lagineous stellated processes, and 
two others longer before: tail pedun- 
culate, fusiform, cylindrical, acute, 
two fifths of whole length; body 4% 
inches, tail 3. 
In 1820 I discovered two new 
moles in Kentucky, one is rather 
common and the substitute of the 
common mole in the gardens. I call 
it talpa macrhina. The other talpa 
sericea is rather scarce. A specimen 
Was in Clifford’s museum. 
1 . Talpa machrina, Raf. 1820.— 
Long-nose mole. Fur thick, brown 
with greyish shades; nose elongate, 
depressed, naked and tuberculate; 
tail one sixth of whole length white, 
squared, naked, feet white. 
.j wwh 
