146 FAUNA AMERICANA. 



The anterior face of the superior incisors con- 

 vex and smooth ; the inferior sharp ; molars com- 

 pound, with plane crowns, presenting angular 

 plates of enamel ; ears very short and rounded ; 

 eyes very small ; anterior feet sometimes five-toed, 

 sometimes four-toed, with claws proper for dig- 

 ging ; posterior feet five-toed ; tail very short and 

 hairy ; (this genus differs from the preceding 

 chiefly in the disproportion of the fore legs, and 

 shortness of the tail.) 



Habit. Social animals, great travellers, feeding 

 chiefly on vegetable food. 



Species. 



1. Lemmus hudsonius, Sab. append, p. 669. 

 Mus hudsoniiis, Pallas. Schreb. Gmel. (Encycl. 

 pi. 69. fig. 6.) Lemming of Hudson's Bay. 



'■' Char. Essent. Of a clear cinereus colour ; four 

 fingers, and a rudiment of a thumb on the fore 

 feet ; the two internal nails (in the male) appear 

 very large and double ; no apparent external ears. 



Dimensions. Total length about five inches. 



Description. Body short and swollen ; head 

 large ; eyes very small ; feet short ; fur soft, gene- 

 rally of a cinereus-gray colour, which is owing to 

 the points of the hairs, the bases of which are 

 broAvnish. 



Inhabit Labrador and northern parts of North 

 America. 



Note. — The following species are noticed by 



