RODENTIA. 145 



are somewhat longer in proportion than those of Rats in general, 

 and their thumb and little toe slightly separated. Their tail is long 

 and hairy. The sandy and warm parts of the eastern continent 

 produce several species. 



G. indicus; Dipus indicus, Hardw., Linn. Trans. VIII, pi. 

 vii; Herine, Fred. Cuv. Mammif. (The India Gerbil.) Size 

 of the fat Dormouse ; fawn coloured above, whitish beneath j 

 tail longer than the body, and blackish at the end. To this 

 species should be approximated the 



G. meridianiis ; D. meridianus, Schreb. 231. (The Torrid 

 Gerbil.) Which is about the same colour, but a little smaller. 



G. tamaricinus ; D. tamaricinus, Schreb. 232. (The Tamarisk 

 Gerbil.) The tail is annulated with brown. 



G. pyramidiim; I), pyramidum.^ Oliv. (The Gerbil of the 

 Pyramids.) The hind feet more elongated ; size of the fat Dor- 

 mouse ; red above, Avhitish beneath. 



There is one in Senegal of a livelier red and a purer white. 



Another at the Cape a little larger, reddish, and the tail less 

 hairy at the end. 



A third in Nubia, about half the size, of a light red above, 

 and a beautiful white beneath. The 



Meriones, Fred. Cuv. 



Which we separate from the other Gerbils, have the hind feet 

 still longer ; the tai'l nearly naked, and a very small tooth before the 

 superior molars ', characters which approximate them to the Jer- 

 boas. Their upper incisors are grooved like those of the Gerbils, 

 and their toes also are similar. There is a small species in North 

 Amei'ica, the 



Mus canadensis, Fenn.; Dipus cfmac?ensfs, Sh. II, part l,pl. 

 161 J Dipus americanus, Barton. Size of a Mouse j fawn co- 

 loured grey; tail longer than the body. A very active animal, 

 that shuts itself up in its burrow, and passes the winter in a 

 state of lethargy. (l) 



Cricetus, Cuv. 



The Hamsters have nearly the same kind of teeth as Rats, but 

 their tail is short and hairy, and the two sides of their mouth are 

 hollowed into sacs or cheek pouches, in which they transport the 

 grain they collect to their subterraneous abodes. 



C. vulgaris; M. cricetus, L.; 'Marmotte d'JUlemagne, ^c. ; 



(1) Add Gerbillus labradorius, Harl., or 3i. labrad., Sabine, Frankl. Voy. p. 661. 

 Vol. L T 



