MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 175 
_ plate of the maxillary. _Coronoid, condylar, and descending 
processes of the mandible well developed and distinct. Tibia 
and fibula united below. ‘T'wo sub-families Murine and Arvico- 
line are here recognized. 
Supramity MURINE. 
This subfamily contains a large number of sprightly animals, 
represented very familiarly by the domestic pests, and easily 
distinguishable from the field mice, which constitute the other 
subfamily of the Muride, by their slender, lithe form, large 
eyes and ears, pointed snout, and the long tail, which is cov- 
ered with circlets of scales. 
In this subfamily the teeth are rather adapted to an omnivo- 
rous diet than a strictly herbivorous or gramnivorous one. 
The incisors are rather narrow, squirrel-like, and the molars 
are rooted and with tuberculate crowns. The skull is quite 
different from that of arvicoline rodents. The nasal bones 
project forward. The zygomas are abruptly curved downward, 
the palate is simple, and the angle of the mandible not strongly 
hamular. 
Instead of going into elaborate details it is thought better to 
reproduce the admirable tabular statement drawn up by Dr. 
Coues and published in Monographs of North American Roden- 
tia, p. 45. 
NORTH AMERICA. 
SOUTH AMERICA. 
a. With grooved upper incisors. 
Genus OCHETODON, Coues. Form 
Genus REITHRODON, Waterh. Form 
leporine. 
b. With smooth upper incisors. 
murine. 
Subgenus VESPERIMUS, Coues. ; 
Form murine. 
Subgenus ONycHomys, Baird. 
Form arvicoline. 
aes ) 
Subgenus Oryzomys, Baird. Form 
rat-like. 
Genus HoLocuHibus, Brandt. Form 
rat-like. 
9 


Subgenus CALomys, Waterh. Form 
murine. 
Subgenus HABROTHRIX, Waterh. 
Form arvicoline. 
Subgenus OXYMICTERUs, Waterh. 

2 
Genus SIGMODON,Say. Form arvi- 
coline. 
Genus NEOTOMA, Say. 
like. 
Form rat- 
