New Jerfey> Raccoon. 57 



them De'fmans Rattor *, and the French, 

 Rats mitfques. Linnteus calls this animal 

 Caftor Zibcthicus. Their food is chiefly the 

 muicles which ly at the bottom of lakes 

 and rivers ; you fee a number of fuch fhells 

 near the entrance of their holes. I am told 

 they likewife eat feveral kinds of roots and 

 plants. They differ from the European 

 Mujk-rat y or Linnczuss Caftor Mofchatus. 

 The teeth are the fame in both ; the tail of 

 the American is comprefled on the fides fo, 

 that one fharp edge goes upwards and the 

 other downwards : the hind feet are not 

 palmated, or joined by a moveable fkin, but 

 are peculiar for having on both fides of the 

 feet, long, white, clofe, pedlinated, ofF- 

 ftanding hair, befides the fhort hair with 

 which the feet are quite covered. Such 

 hairs are on both fides of the toes, and do 

 the fame fervice in fwimming as a web. 

 Their fize is that of a little cat, or to be 

 more accurate, the length of the body is 

 aboiit ten inches, and the tail of the fame 

 length : the colour of the head, neck, back, 

 fides, and of the out fide of the thighs, is 

 blackifti brown ; the hairs are foft and fliin- 



* Defm fignifies mujk in the Swed'ijh, and in fome pro- 

 vincial dialects of the German language ; confequently 

 Defman-rat is nothing but Mujk-rat, and from hence Mr. 

 has forpied his Defman or Ruffian Mujk-rat. F, 



