APPENDIX, 355 



larger than in Europe ; the upper part of the body 

 is of a greyish brown, the lower part an ash 

 grey ; the legs are covered with a white fur, and 

 the taper tail is one-fifth of the length of the body. 

 A shrew-mouse also was caught. Two or three 

 kinds of large cats are said to have been seen ; a 

 mustela, something of the nature of the Lutreoht 

 was shot near the Rio Sacramento. The sea-otter 

 still abounds here, but its hair is brownish, and 

 not black. The Cervus Wapiti is found in great 

 numbers in hilly districts ; and there are deer in 

 all unfrequented places. The back and sides of 

 the latter are of a reddish brown in summer, in 

 winter of a blackish brown ; the belly, breast, 

 and inside of the legs are white; the mouth, fore- 

 head, and the exterior of the ears are black. The 

 antlers (of the male) divide into a fork, with round 

 smooth branches. The animal grows to the height 

 of two feet and a half. Near the Rio Sacramento, 

 and in the vicinity of the Russian settlement, we 

 saw herds of animals of the shape of goats, with 

 long hair hanging from their legs, and short 

 straight horns ; we were unfortunately unable to 

 obtain a specimen ; we saw the animal only through 

 a telescope, and judged it to be the Capra Colum- 

 biana, or Rupicapra Americana Blainiille, so often 

 spoken of. Lastly, we have to mention a small kind 

 of hare, not so large as a rabbit, found in great 

 abundance among the bushes, and a dormouse seen 

 in the southern plains. 



