478 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HAMSTER. 



is thin and narrow, presenting almost the same width through- 

 out ; the inner coat is much furred, and the cwcum is very 

 large in proportion, as when pulled out it is half as long as 

 the animal, and its capacity twice that of the stomachs. — 

 There is no gall-bladder in the five-lobed liver, but the bile 

 empties itself directly through the biliary canal, which is 

 formed by the union of five branches ; this structure appears 

 to bear some relation to the irritable nature of the creature. 

 The glands are in general very large and numerous. One, 

 which is situated in the groove between the shoulders, is par- 

 ticularly remarkable for its size and relations. It is often more 

 than 1 inch long, J an inch broad, and 2 or 3 lines thick in 

 the middle. The rein which comes from it penetrates be- 

 tween the fifth and sixth ribs, on the right side of the spine, 

 and opens into the vena impar, which is ascending there, and 

 which in the hamster, as in some of the Amphibia and Ru- 

 minantia, is paired, one branch being to the right and the 

 other to the left of the spine, but the latter branch is much 

 larger than the former. The artery of the said gland is com- 

 paratively small, and the same may be said in general of the 

 arteries in proportion to the veins. The weight of the brain 

 is to that of the whole body about as 1 : 193 ; this organ is 

 therefore very small. The cerebrum is about three times the 

 weight of the cerebellum ; its surface is smooth and without 

 sinuosities, which bears a relation to the great stupidity and 

 stubborn disposition of the creature. The testes are eight or 

 nine times as large, from May to August, as they are at other 

 seasons ; they are nearly the size of pigeons' eggs when fully 

 developed. The animal can draw them within the cavity of 

 the abdomen, which provision is necessary, as they would 

 otherwise be often exposed to dangerous pressure in their en- 

 larged state. 



These are the most remarkable anatomical features which 

 are peculiar to the German marmot : the dental system pre- 

 sents nothing anomalous, there being 12 molar and 4 incisor 

 teeth, as in the rat. I ought not, however, to pass over in 

 silence two oblong spaces in the integuments, one on each 

 side of the spine, and parallel with it. They are situated at 

 a short distance in front of the thighs, and are not always di- 

 rectly perceptible, as the common hair often closes over them. 

 But if the hair be blown aside or divided with the fingers, 

 two spots may be observed, each about an inch in length and 

 \ of an inch in breadth, slightly tapering towards their extre- 

 mities, where the hair is much shorter than on the other parts 

 of the body, and of a dusky brown colour, rather stiff, and 

 lying close to the skin. In very young specimens, when the 



