FAMILY GERBILLID^. 71 



pressed straight nails, of which the internal is shortest ; a small rudimentary thumb- near the 

 base of the inner toe. Hind legs slender, nearly two inches long ; the anterior surface covered 

 with short white hair. Tail long, slender, cylindrical, scaly, with short rigid adpressed hairs ; 

 shghtly enlarged at the base, a few hairs extending • 3 beyond the tip, which is not, however, 

 tufted. Fur short, not remarkably fine, longest on the posterior parts of the body. Teeth : 

 Incisors, | ; molars, | = 18. The upper cutting teeth yellowish, and so deeply channelled 

 in the centre as to produce an impression at first that there are four incisors above. The 

 anterior molar above, and the posterior beneath, smallest. 



Color. Head dark brown above. Ears margined with fulvous. Space beneath the nose on 

 each side, white. In some specimens this is yellov^ish, and forms a yellow stripe extending 

 backwards towards the ears. On the upper part of the body a broad dark brown dorsal stripe, 

 becoming yellowish on the sides and whitish beneath. Thpse colors are alniost distinctly 

 separated. The dark color of the back is produced by intermixture of numerous black hairs 

 on a fulvous ground. Base of hairs on the head, back and sides slate-colored. The white of 

 the belly not unfrequently mixed with cream-color ; and where it unites with the hair on the 

 sides, it is bright rufous. Tail white beneath, separated distinctly from the brown above. 



Length of head, I'O. 



Ditto of the body, ' 2*0. 



Ditto of the tail, 5-0. 



This curious little animal, although rarely seen, is not uncommon in every part of the State. 

 It was first noticed by Pennant ; and subsequently, either this or a closer allied species was 

 described by Zimmerman in 1780, under the name of Dipus hudsonius, but we have had no 

 opportunity of consulting his description. For the next notice we are indebted to Dr. Barton, 

 with a figure. Two years afterwards, Davis published a meagre notice, with a figure. 

 Sabine's labradorius was drawn up from a mutilated specimen. From the confusion existing 

 in relation to this animal, it appears to be probable that many strongly marked varieties, and, 

 as we have seen, imperfect specimens, have served as the basis for the creation of new 

 species. We refer to our deer-mouse, the notice given by Prof. Peck in the American Phi- 

 losophical Transactions, Vol. 4", p. 124." The G. megalops, leonurus and soricinus, of a 

 grossly innacurate and unscrupulous foreign writer in the American Monthly Magazine, p. 

 446, we consider as mere varieties. A careful and extended comparison of many specimens 

 from various districts will be requisite, before we are enabled to pronounce with certainty 

 upon the existence of more than one species. 



The Deer-mouse forms its nest under heaps of stone, or piles of rails, and. occasionally, 

 but not often, in stacks of wheat, rye or maize. It brings forth four young, in August. It 

 was called by the Mohegans of this State, ' Wah-peh-soiis, or the " animal jumping like a 

 deer." In fact, its leaps of ten to twelve feet at a time are truly remarkable, and liave occa- 

 sioned it to be called the Jumping Mouse. In these leaps, it is of course aided by its long 

 tail. We have kept them for some time, when they evinced a timid but gentle disposition. 



