84 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



THE MARSH MEADOW-MOUSE 



ARVICOLA RIPARIUS. 



PLATE XXII. FIG. 2— (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Animla riparius. Ord, Acad. Sc. Philad. Vol. 4, p. 305. 

 Marsh Campagnol. Godman, Am. Nat. Hist. Vol. 2, p. 67. 



Characteristics. Glossy, tawny brown above ; light plumbeous beneath. Tail less than half 

 the length of the head and body. Length three to three and a half inches. 



Description. Body short and robust, more particularly about the shoulders. Head large. 

 Muzzle elongated, truncate at its extremity. Eyes distinct, and 0-3 distant from the end of 

 the muzzle. Mouth beneath, not terminal. Whiskers numerous, white, and 0"6 long. 

 Ears distinct, broad, subacute, and lined within and without with long hairs extending beyond 

 the margins ; this, together with the long fur surrounding them, almost conceals them from 

 observation. All the feet very short and slender. Fore feet 0-6 long, and clothed with short 

 adpressed hairs ; the claws small, acute, curved, channelled beneath, and dilated at their 

 bases ; the thumb rudimentary, and furnished with a short triangular claw ; the two middle 

 toes longest, subequal. Hind feet placed very far back, ■ 8 long, and clothed with short 

 rigid adpressed hairs, extending to the tips of the nails ; the three middle toes subequal. 

 Tail very slender, equal throughout, subquadrate, not flattened, scaly, with short hairs 

 scarcely concealing the scales, and extending about ■ 2 beyond the vertebrae ; not forming, 

 however, a tuft, as is erroneously given in the plate. Fur rather fine and soft, 0"2 long on 

 the upper part of the body. The nose, jaws and chin furnished with short hair. 



Teeth. The upper incisors short, scarcely higher than broad ; their flat, chisel-shaped points 

 directed towards each other, and their bases somewhat diverging. The lower incisors slender, 

 0*13 in length above their sockets, cylindrical, pointed, and directed forwards horizontally. 

 The anterior and posterior molars smallest, and all with zigzag lines of enamel ; the middle 

 molar is composed of four flattened prisms. 



Color. Above a glossy tawny brown, plumbeous at the base, intermixed with others longer 

 and totally black. Chin and all beneath, leaden grey. Feet dark brown ; soles black. Tail 

 deep blackish brown, imperceptibly passing into a shade lighter beneath. 



Length of head and body 2*5. 



Ditto of tail, 0-7. 



Total length, 3-2. 



The Bank Meadow-mouse of Richardson, which he refers to the riparius of Ord, I cannot 

 think is identical with it. It is much larger, being nine inches in total length, and has white 

 feet and a flattened tail. The very small size of the specimen which I first obtained, and from 

 which the dimensions given above were taken, induced me to suspect that it was new ; but 

 later observations on others have satisfied me of its identity with the riparius. Mr. Ord gives 



