?02 Q^U ADRUPEDS. 



'THE DORMOUSE 



MAY be diftinguifhed into three kinds; the greater, the mid^ 

 die, and the lejs ; the largeft being equal to a rat, the leaft no 

 bigger than a nnoufe. They differ fronn the rat in having the tail tufced 

 with hair, round, refembling a bruQi. All have black fparkling eyes, 

 and whilkers, partly white and partly black; are ftupified like the 

 marmotte during winter, and hoard prorifions in cafe of revival by a 

 funny day. 



They inhabit woods or very thick hedges, neftling in the hollow of 

 fome tree, or near the bottonn of a clofe Ihrub ; form magazines of nuts, 

 beans, or acorns, and fhut themfelves up with ic for the winter, rollino- 

 themfeives up in a ball. Their nefts are lined with mofs, grafs, and 

 dead leaves; ufually bring forth three or four young in fpring. 



THE MUSK RAT, 



OF thefe are three diftinftions : the Ondatra, the Defman, and the 

 Pilori. The ondatra is native of Canada, the defman of Lap- 

 land, the pilori of the Weft-India iflands. The ondatra differs in having 

 the tail flatted and carried edge- ways. The defman has a long extended 

 fnout like the fhrew-moufe j the pilori a fhort tail, as thick at one end as 

 the other. They refemble each other in being fond of the water, and in 

 that muiky odour from whence they are named. 



The ondatra is the moft remarkable ; about the fize of a fmall rabbi.t \ 

 has the hair, the colour, and tail of a rat, but flatted on the fides ; can 

 contrad and enlarge its body at pleafure. It has a mufcle like that of 

 horfes, by which they move their hides, lying immediately under the 

 fkin, fo powerfully contraftile, and fuch an eladicity in the falfe ribs, 

 that it can creep into an hole where others, feemingly much lefs, cannot 

 follow. The female is remarkable alfo for two diftintl apertures. Their 

 mufl<y fmell is much ftrongeft at one feafon of the year ; and the marks 

 of the fex feem to appear and difappear in the fame manner. 



The ondatra fomewhat refembles the beaver in nature ; lives in focie- 

 ty during winter j forms houfes of tyvo feet and a half wide, in which 



refidc 



