RODENTIA. 141' 



M. nifcla, Gm. ; Buff. VIII, xxv. (The Garden Dormouse.) 

 Somewhat less than the preceding ; greyish brown above ; 

 white underneath j black round the eye, which extends to the 

 shoulder ; tail tufted and black, tuft white. Common in the 

 gardens of Europe, where it shelters itself in holes about the 

 walls, and does much injury to trees. 



M. avellanarius, L.; Buff. VIII, xxvi. (The Common Dor- 

 mouse.) Size of a Mouse ; cinnamon red above ; white beneath ; 

 hairs of the tail somewhat disposed like a feather. From the 

 forests of all Europe. It constructs its nest of grass on low 

 branches, to bring up its young; the rest of the time, and par- 

 ticularly during winter, it remains in the hollows of trees.(l) 

 We should place near the Dormice, the 



ECHIMYS, Geoff. LONCHERES, Illig.(2) 



Four grinders also, but formed in a peculiar way ; the upper ones 



consisting of two blades, bent into the shape of a V, and the under 



ones of one blade only that is bent, and of another that is simple. 



The fur of several species is harsh, and intermixed with flattened 



spines or prickles, like sword blades. From America. One of them, 



Ech. chrysuros, Schreb. CLXX, B ; Lerot a queue doree, Buff. 



Supp. VII, 72. (The Golden-tailed Echimys.) More than 



twice the size of the Brown Rat ; it is a beautiful animal, of a 



chesnut brown colour; white belly ; an elongated crest of hairs, 



and a white longitudinal band on the head; the tail is long and 



black ; the posterior half yellow. From Guiana. 



Ech. rufus; Bat epineux, Azzara, Voy. pi. xiii. (The Red 



Echimys.) Size of a Rat, and of a reddish grey; tail shorter 



than the body. It is found in Guiana, Brazil, and Paraguay. 



It excavates long subterraneous galleries. 



Others, again, have merely the ordinary kind of hair, more or less 



rough. The most remarkable is the 



Ech. dactylicus^ Geoff. (The Long-toed Echimys.) Which 

 is still larger than the chrysuros, and has the two mid- 

 dle toes of the fore feet double the length of the lateral ones. 

 Its scaly tail is longer than the body; its fur is a yellowish 

 grey, and the hairs on its nose form a crest directed in front. (3) 



(1) Add Myoxus Coupeii, Fred. Cuv. Mammif. 



(2 Echimys, or Spiny llat. m. Ed. 



(3) Add the Echimys of Cayenne, the Silky Echimys. I suspect the Mus. para- 

 doxus, Thomas, Lin. Trans. XI, (Heteromys, Lesson) differs from the Echimys in 

 its cheek-pouches only. However, not having' seen its teeth, I cannot arrange it. 



