XXIII. 



Muskrat, Musquash, Ondatra or Mudcat. 



Fiber zibethicus (Linnaeus). 



(L. Fiber, a beaver; L. zibethicus, adapted from the root of 'zibet' or 'civet,' the 

 Musk-cat of the Old World, applied to the Muskrat on account of its odour.) 



Castor zibethicus LiNN., 1766, Syst. Nat., XII, ed. I, p. 79. 

 Fiber zibethicus Cuv., 1817, Reg. anim. I, p. 192. 

 Type Locality. — Eastern Canada. 



French Canadian, VOndatra, or le Rat musque\ 



Cree, Was-usk', Wah-chusk or Wat-susk". 



Saut., Wah-sesk'. 



OjiB., Wah-jusk'. 



Chipewyan, Dthen. 



Yankton Sioux, Tsink-pay. 



Ogallala Sioux, S ink-pa y'-lah. 



The genus Fiber (Cuvier, 1800) comprises animals which 

 in anatomy are simply immense Meadow-mice, with naked tails 

 flattened on the sides. The Muskrat is the type of the genus. 

 The teeth are as in Microtus. 



SIZE The Muskrat is: In length, 21 inches (532 mm.); tail, 



10 inches (254 mm.); hind-foot, 3I inches (89 mm.). 



WEIGHT Of 8 Muskrats captured at Carberry in the fall of 1886, 



the largest, a male, weighed 2 pounds 4 ounces. The smallest, 

 also a male, weighed i pound 5I ounces; a large female 

 weighed 2 pounds 3 ounces. The average of 6 males was 

 I pound 10 ounces. 



COLOUR In general, above, chestnut brown, darkest on the crown 



and back, becoming much paler and grayer on the belly and 

 cheeks, and nearly white on the chin and throat and inner 

 side of legs; the feet are covered with close, hard, shiny hair 

 of silvery brown. 



538 



