21 6 On the Analyjis of Azof, 



diftin^lly as to be eafily afcertalned. It approaches however 

 to one or two fpecies mentioned by Dr. Pallas, Mr. Pennant, 

 and others; but differs in fize, being much larger, as well as 

 in the appearance of the fore-feet, which have claws differ- 

 ently formed fi-om iiny of the pouched fpecies hitherto de- 

 icribed. 



In order to fecure its knowledge among r.aturalifts, it may 

 be proper to form for it a fpecific charafter, viz. 



Mus c'lnereus, caudd tereti brevi fubnudd, gen:s faccatis, 

 ■unguibus falmarum maximis fojforiis. 



Afh -coloured rat, with fliort, round, nearly naked tail, 

 pouched checks, and the claws of the fore-feet very 

 lar2:e, formed for burrowing in the ground. 



The cheek-pouches are far larger, in proportion to the 

 animal, than in any other of this tribe, and therefore have 

 given occafion for the fpecific nanie. fPlate VIII.) 



This quadruped was taken by fome Indian hunters in the 

 upper parts of Interior Canada, and fent down to Quebec. 

 It is now in the poffefllon of Governor Prefcot. 



VI. On the Analyjis of Azot : an ExtraB of a Letter from 

 Dr. GiRTANNER to Dr. Van Moms of Bn/JJils*. 



IGottingen, Dec. a6, 1799. 

 HAVE been travelling during the greater part of the 

 fummer for the reftoration of my health. I fpent fome time 

 in Swifferland, where I met with one of my old friends, an 

 excellent chemift. We repeated, amidft the thunder of can- 

 non, a great number of the experiments I had made on the 

 analyfis of azot; and I can now prove that this fubftance is 

 a compound body. The experiments of Wiegleb and Wurzer 

 are ti'ue, whatever the Dutch chemifts may fay to the con- 

 trary ; but thefe experiments, as you may readily conceive, 

 prove nothing againft the theory of Lavoifier. I have written 

 a memoir in Fench on the analyfis of azot, which I fhould 

 fend you to be inferted in the Annales, were I certain that it 

 would not be loft by the way. 



I am now publiihing the third edition of my Principles of 



* From the Annales de Chimie, No. 99, 



the 



