I20 Of an AMERICAN SPECIES 



I have faid that the Dipus Americanus is clofely allied 

 to the Dipus Hudfonius. But thefe two animals differ 

 from each other, in feveral particulars. Mr. Pennant 

 fays the upper lip of the firft of thefe animals is bifid. 

 Profeffor Zimmermann follows him in mentioning this 

 charadler. The upper lip of the Dipus Americanus is 

 not bifid. The ears of the Dipus Hudibnius are faid to 

 be large, naked, rounded. The ears of the American 

 Dipus are very fmall, oval, and covered. The exterior 

 toe of the hind-leg of the Dipus Hudibnius is faid to be 

 the fhorteft. The inner toe of the Dipus Americanus 

 is the fhorteft. The tail of this lail; fpecies terminates 

 in a pencil of hairs. It does not appear from Mr. Pen- 

 nant's account of the Labrador-Rat, that the hairs at the 

 end of the tail of this animal are longer than thofe on 

 other parts of the tail. Upon the whole, I have no 

 hefitation in concluding, that the Dipus Hudfonius and 

 the Dipus Americanus are two diltinc^t fpecies. 



It has often been faid, and the obfervation is a juft 

 one, that the moft curious and interefting part of zoolo- 

 gical fcience is that which relates to the mores, or man- 

 ners, the inftindls, &c. of animals. To the philofophi- 

 cal naturalifl: the mere defcription of an animal can afford 

 very little pleaibre, or inftru£lion. 



I am lorry, that, at prefent, I am not able to give 

 much information concerning the manners of our little 

 animal. I hope to be able to complete its hiftory at fome 

 future period. Meanwhile, 1 fhall mention a few cir- 

 cumftances, which I have already afcertained. 



Tlie Dipus Americanus frequents our corn-fields, our 

 meadows, and foreib. It eats wheat, Indian-corn, clo- 

 ver, and acorns. 1 fufpeft it likewiie eats cheihuts, 

 hickery-nuts, and other limilar nuts. It often gets into 

 the granaries of the Indians fettled at Oneida, in the 

 flate of New-York, and proves very deftrudive to the 



Indian- 



