58 FAUNA AMERICANA. 



Dimensions. Total length of the male, two feet 

 two inches, not including the tail ; female consid- 

 erably smaller. 



Description. The following details are taken 

 from well prepared specimens, a male and female 

 in the Philadelphia Museum, No. 786 and 787. 



The back of the animal of a ferruginous brown 

 colour ; hairs at base whitish, then brown, then 

 tipt with gray ; sides of the snout of a dark brown ; 

 those hairs are blackest which cover the upper 

 surface of the anterior feet ; snout contracted, 

 broad at base, pointed at the extremity ; nostrils 

 open downwards, curving upwards posteriorly, to 

 form a lateral and vertical slit ; end of the nose 

 continued beyond the upper lip ; external ear 

 small ; the borders of the pinna?, ovoid ; a broad 

 row of reversed hairs anterior to the concha; 

 iiails on the fore claws, strong, equally as long as 

 the palm, slightly curved and very sharp ; nails of 

 the posterior feet slender, short, and sharp ; tail 

 about the length of the hind les, covered with 

 long hairs ; hair of the body long, rather coarse. 



Habit. Frequents the most solitary places j 

 lives in holes ; nocturnal ; omnivorous. When at- 

 tacked, it defends itself with courage ; biting with 

 tenacity, for which it is well calculated by the 

 manner of the articulation of the lower jaw; the 

 coronoid processes being completely locked with- 

 in the zygomatic arch. 



Inhabit North America. 



