1877. _Arvicola (Synaptomys) gossii_ Coues, Monogr. N. Amer.
Rodentia, p. 235 (published as a synonym of _Synaptomys cooperi_,
but name stated to apply to Kansan specimens of which description
and measurements are on p. 236), type from Neosho Falls, Woodson
County, Kansas.
1897. _Synaptomys cooperi gossii_, Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 49:307, June.
In view of the taxonomic treatment accorded by Bole and Moulthrop (Sci.
Publs. Cleveland Mus. Nat. Hist, 5:149-151, September 11, 1942) to the
lemming mice of the species _Synaptomys cooperi_, as explained in the
preceding account, it has seemed desirable to examine Iowan specimens
of this species. Hall and Kelson examined the necessary material and
made the following conclusions. An adult male from Hillsboro (168453
USBS) has the lighter color and large skull of _S. c. gossii_ to which
Howell (N. Amer. Fauna, 50:19, August 5, 1927) referred the specimen.
The more western specimen from Knoxville, a young male (190358 USNM),
is almost exactly the same age as a male of _S. c. saturatus_ from
Bascom, Indiana (143701 USNM), and is but slightly older than a male
_S. c. gossii_ from Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas (91583 USBS). The upper
molariform tooth-row is the same length in the specimens from Kansas
and Iowa, but is longer in that from Indiana. The fact that the
specimen from Knoxville closely resembles the Kansan specimen in other
dimensions of the skull, which is larger than in the specimen from
Indiana, gives a basis for applying the name _Synaptomys cooperi
gossii_ to the specimen from Knoxville. This is the same name recently
used by Fichter and Hansen (Bull. Univ. Nebraska State Mus., 3(2):2,
September, 1947) for the Iowan specimens, although they seemingly
applied the name without being aware of Bole and Moulthrop's earlier
naming of _S. c. saturatus_ (Sci. Publs. Cleveland Mus. Nat. Hist.,
5:149, September 11, 1942).