91 
! 
1842. Scalops argentatus, var. argentatus, Aud. and Bach., Journal Acad. 
Nat. Sci., Phila., viii, 1842; 292; N. A. Quad., iii, 1653, 252, pl. 
cl., f. 4—Waener, Suppl. Schreb., v, 1855, 573.—Kennicott, 
Pat. Of. Rep. Agric.. 1857, 97. (Description and habits.) 
Specific Characters.—A verage length from nose to root of tail 43 inches; 
of tail to end of vertebre .95 inch; hand .85 inch; foot .75 inch; width 
of palm exceeds its length, and varies from .60 to .90 inch as the extremes. 
Eyes and ears excessively minute; the eyes not covered with integu- 
ment, a minute orbital opening being apparent. Muzzle long and de- 
pressed; snout truncate at an angle of about 45°; on this surface are the 
antero-superior nostrils; the flexible snout extends nearly three-eighths 
of an inch beyond the upper jaw. The tail is nearly naked. Color dark 
plumbeous, with occasionally a brownish tinge; feet, tail, nails, and 
snout are of a light flesh-color. The hind feet are rather slender and 
weak, but this is made up by the great size of the spade-like hands, 
nearly an inch in breadth, attached by short, strong arms to robust 
shoulders. Feet not under the body, but standing out at the sides edge- 
wise with the palm. In short, the whole form—the set of the limbs, 
great shoulders, short arms, broad hands and fossorial claws, united with 
the extraordinary muscular strength of the animal—adapt it. to its 
method of ploughing through the soil, where it seems to travel as easily 
ason the surface. The earth seems scarcely less dense when one of 
these animated little ditchers is seen gliding along, not over, but literally 
through, the meadows, leaving his well-arched viaduct behind him, than 
does the water in the adjacent streams before the thrust of some sharp- 
nosed and large-finned darter or sun-fish. 
Variety argentatus—This form wasestablished by Audubonand Bachman, 
‘after some hesitation and doubt ” (Quad. N. A., ili, p. 253), and admitted by 
Baird, who, however, questions “whether the two can, with entire pro- 
priety, be separated.” Dr. Coues, as already stated, regards it as no more 
than a geographical race of S. aquaticus, and states that “none of the 
ascribed characters are diagnostic.” Among the assigned characters of 
this form are the greater size, slenderer head, more elevated nostrils, 
eyes entirely covered by the integument, proportionally larger ears, and 
especially the soft, dense, and glossy silvery grey fur, which reflects, in 
different lights, “tints of silver, purple, and bronze.”—Kennicott. Both 
forms are to be found in Ohio, as I am informed by Mr. Langdon. Prof. 
Baird gives the habital of arg2ntatus as from Detroit west. 
Eistory and Habits—The most noticeable feature of this animal is its 
fore feet, short legs, and robust shoulders, adapting it to plough through 
the soil. 
