158 SIXTH REPORT — 1836. 



frequents the islands of the Arctic Sea, the barren grounds, and 

 the Rocky Mountains, down to the 60th parallel. L. america- 

 nus inhabits the woods from the Gulf of Mexico to their northern 

 limits. L. virginianus is found on the prairie lands of the 

 Saskatchewan and Missouri, and it is said also on the Blue 

 Mountains of Pennsylvania ; but further investigations are re- 

 quisite to prove the existence of the same species in such dif- 

 ferent localities. A " marsh hare" from the southern parts of 

 the United States has been recently described in the Zoological 

 Proceedings, and it may be this that Dr. Harlan has associated 

 with the prairie hare imder the name of virginiciis. Lepns 

 me.vicaniis is the name bestowed by Lichtenstein on the "citli" 

 of Hernandez, and ciinicularitis that by which he designates 

 the " tochtli". How far either of these species ranges north- 

 wards, or whether they have been compared with the Florida 

 marsh hare we know not. Lagomys jiTincejJS has its abode on 

 the crests of the Rocky Mountains, where it is probable that 

 other species will be hereafter detected. Lichtenstein tells us 

 that cavys are common in Mexico, and some authors have 

 stated that the common agouti (dusi/procta aciiti) inhabits the 

 southern extremity of the United States ; but F. Cuvier has 

 separated the latter animal by the specific appellation of cai-o- 

 lineiisis. The lijmra Imdsonica of Illiger, or lu/rax Jmdsonius 

 of Shaw, must be excluded from the American fauna until we 

 receive satisfactory evidence of its origin. 



Ord. EDENTATA. 



Dasypus hybridus, Desm. 



This small order may be called South American, the whole 

 of the animals composing it belonging to that country, except 

 three or four African or Indian species comprised in the genera 

 oryctopus and manis. Lichtenstein, at the close of some re- 

 marks on the " ayo-tochtli" of Hernandez, says, that the spe- 

 cimens brought home b}^ Deppe accorded exactly with the 

 tatou inulita of Azzara, which Cuvier refers to the da^/piis 7- 

 cinctiis of Linnaeus. By others the ayo-tochtli is considered to 

 be the d. peha of Desmarest, and we also find the mexicanus of 

 Brisson ranked among the synonyms of (/. Encouhert of Des- 

 marest. The latter author informs us that the hybridus is 

 common in Paraguay and on the Brazilian pampas. It is the 

 only example of an animal of this order that has been ascer- 

 tained to enter the North American fauna, though Lichtenstein 

 conjectures that a myrynecopltaga may also be found in Mexico, 

 namely, the atzca-coyotl or tlal-coyotl oi Hernandez. 



