Subject: [Tweeters] Aplondontia: interesting Washington history
Date: Feb 1 08:05:45 2005
From: Pterodroma at aol.com - Pterodroma at aol.com


Found this interesting titbit of local trivia in the "Online Encyclopedia of
Washington State History" just now. The last little quip at the end lurches
out of the blue is quite amusing and I had nothing to do with writing that.

"State Mammal: We don't have one yet, officially, so HistoryLink nominates
the mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa), which is actually a large and primitive
rodent. The mountain beaver is unique to the Pacific Northwest and was first
described by Lewis and Clark upon their arrival in Washington in 1805. Also
called the sewellel after the Chinook term for a robe made from its fur,
Aplodontia is ugly, stinky, and host to the world's largest fleas: truly an animal
only a legislature could love."

<A HREF="http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5315">
HistoryLink Essay: About Washington State</A>
http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5315

Actually, the nomination would not be fairly representitive for the entire
State of Washington since the 'ugly, stinky, huge flea ridden' Aplodontia would
only apply to the "blue" side since they don't occur at all on the "red" side.
Kind of reminds one of a recent election and the Governorship doesn't it.
:-))

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA