218 BULLETIN NO. VII. 



more or less anchylosed, and the metatarsals fused to form a 

 so-called cannon-bone. The tail is long and tufted at the end. 

 Lastly we come to the 



SUBFAMILY ZAJPODINJE. 



One species is the sole representative of this group, which by 

 Coues is made a distinct family. This species ranges over a 

 considerable portion of North America, and has been quite 

 elaborately discussed by recent authors, so that we may simply 

 note the characters of the subfamily before passing to the de- 

 scription of the animal itself : 



Dental formula: 1:#: fci=l8. Upper incisors compressed, sul- 

 cate ; molars rooted. Head short and rounded. Anteorbital 

 foramen large. Malar bone produced anteriorly, uniting with 

 the lachrymal. The zygoma is slender and depressed. Fore 

 feet small; hind feet enlarged, but normal. Tail very long but 

 not tufted. 



GENUS ZAPUS, COUES. 

 Zap us hudsonius (ZIMMERMAN) COUES. 



This jumping mouse is perhaps the most interesting of our 

 Minnesota rodents. The greatly elongated foot in which, 

 nevertheless, the bones are all distinct, the long tail, greatly 

 exceeding the body, the enormous ears with valvular flaps, and 

 the cheek pouches constitute unique characters. 



The average length is 3 inches, tail 5 inches, hind foot 1.18 

 inches. The hinder parts of the body are enlarged, while the 

 truncate muzzle gives the profile a peculiar appearance. The 

 pelage is coarse and the tail is like that of the common mouse. 

 The color above is of a rather intense yellowish cast with a 

 brownish dorsally; pencilings of brownish-black due to the 

 elongated hairs shade the back. The under parts are beauti- 

 fully white, sharply set off from the coloration of the back. 

 The species has only been observed by the writer in the west- 

 ern part of the state. At Lake Traverse it was found in a state 

 of primitive simplicity, and was readily taken in the hand. 



An article in the American Naturalist for June, 1872, by San- 

 born Tenney, affords the following facts regarding the hiber- 

 nation of the Zapus: 



