RODENTIA. 145 



large as a cat, have their ears destitute of the little 

 tuft of pencilled hairs which marks our species. 

 Those which rarely climb trees, but live in holes 

 in the earth, and have cheek pouches, usually called 

 Ground Squirrels, are separated to form the genus 

 Tamias.* The fur is usually marked with several 

 black stripes down the back. 



The Flying Squirrels (Pteromys*\\ also of Europe 

 and North America, form a separate division. They 

 are enabled to take very long horizontal leaps, 

 by the aid of a membrane, extended between the 

 fore and hind legs. 



The Ground Squirrels, with cheek pouches, lead 

 naturally to the Marmots (Arctomys^), in which 

 we no longer find the elegant lightness of the 

 former genus ; while the Dormice (Myoxus ) are 

 evidently an intermediate form between the Tree 

 Squirrels and the Mice. The large and hairy 

 tail, the form of the teeth, and the climbing and 

 hoarding habits, shew r this affinity. The pretty 

 little tawny Dormouse of our own forests (M. Avel- 

 lanarius), and the Fat Dormouse of the South of 

 Europe (M. Glis\ the celebrated delicacy of the 

 Romans, by whom it was fattened for the table, art' 

 examples. 



* Ta^/aj, tamias, a steward. 

 *f* IlTov, pteron^ a wing, and ^t/j, mys^ a mouse. 

 "A^XTSJ, arktos, a bear, and ^yj, mys a mouse. 

 M?j, and flgwj, oxysi sharp. 

 VOL. I. H 



