148 FAUNA AMERICANA. 



Habit. Omnivorous, lascivious, and nocturnal. 

 Inhabit all climates and countries of the earth ; 

 some species have become cosmopolites. 



Species. 



]. Mils rattus^ Linn. 



Mils domesticus major., Rai. Le rat., Buff. 

 Rattus niger., Penn. Syn. Quad. p. 299. The 

 Black rat. 



Char. Essent. Black above, deep cinereus be- 

 neath ; tail a little longer than the body. 



Dimensions. Total length seven inches ; of the 

 head one inch nine lines ; of the tail seven inches 

 six lines. 



Description. Head elongated ; snout pointed ; 

 inferior jaw very short, and much less projecting 

 than the superior; eyes large and projecting; 

 ears naked, large, broad, and nearly oval ; whis- 

 kers long; five flat toes on the hind feet, and four 

 on the anterior, with a nail representing a thumbj 

 lateral nails, both before and behind, very short ; 

 tail nearly naked, and furnished with scales dis- 

 posed in rings, the number of which amount in 

 some instances to two hundred and fifty ; ordina- 

 ry colour of the animal, cinereus black, lighter 

 beneath; whiskers black; small white hairs co- 

 vering the top of the feet ; mammse to the num- 

 ber of twelve. 



Habit. Bold, courageous, and great depreda- 



