186 ANIMALS OF THE 



of the former ; the Ondatra, the Desman, and the 

 Pilori. The ondatra is a native of Canada, the 

 desman of Lapland, and the pilori of the West 

 India Islands. The ondatra differs from all others 

 of its kind, in having the tail flatted and carried 

 edgeways. The desman has a long extended 

 snout like the shrew mouse ; and the pilori a 

 short tail, as thick at one end as the other. They 

 all resemble each other in being fond of the 

 water, but particularly in that musky odour from 

 whence they have taken their name. 



Of these, the Ondatra is the most remarkable, 

 and has been the most minutely described.* 

 This animal is about the size of a small rabbit, 

 but has the hair, the colour, and the tail of a rat, 

 except that it is flatted on the sides, as mentioned 

 above. But it is still more extraordinary upon 

 other accounts, and different from all other ani- 

 mals whatever. It is so formed that it can con- 

 tract and enlarge its body at pleasure. It has a 

 muscle like that of horses, by which they move 

 their hides, lying immediately under the skin, 

 and that furnished with such a power of con- 

 traction, together with such an elasticity in the 

 false ribs, that this animal can creep into a hole 

 where others, seemingly much less, cannot follow. 

 The female is remarkable also for two distinct 

 apertures, one for urine, the other for propaga- 

 tion. The male is equally observable for a pe- 

 culiarity of conformation ; the musky smell is 

 much stronger at one particular season of the 



* Buffbn, vol. xx. p. 4. 



