RODENTIA. 93 



rows, which have even been styled villages. It is called the Prairie Dog or 

 Barking Squirrel^ the latter appellation arising from its voice, which resem- 

 bles the bark of a small Dog 1 . It is the JLrct. ludovicianus of Say, Jour, to 

 the Rocky Mountains, I, 45 1. 



Mxoxus, Gm.(l) 



The Dormice have pointed lower incisors, and four grinders, the crown 

 of each of \vhich is divided by enamelled lines. 



They are pretty little animals, with soft fur, a hairy and even tufted tail 

 and a lively eye, which live on trees like Squirrels, and feed on fruit. They 

 become torpid in winter like the Marmots, and pass through it in the most 

 profound lethargy. 



M. glis, L. (The Fat Dormouse.) Size of a Rat; ashy grey-brown 

 above, whitish underneath; of a deeper brown around the eyes; tail very 

 hairy the whole of its length, and disposed somewhat like that of a Squir- 

 rel, and frequently a little forked at the extremity. It inhabits the south 

 of Europe, and nestles in the hollows of trees and fissures of rocks. It 

 sometimes attacks small birds. This is probably the Rat, fattened by the 

 ancients, among whom it was considered a delicacy of the very highest 

 description. 



We should place near the Dormice, the 



ECHIMYS, Geoff. (2) 



Four grinders also, but formed in a peculiar way; the upper ones con- 

 sisting of two blades, bent into the shape of a V, and the under ones of one 

 blade only that is bent, and of another that is simple. The fur of several 

 species is harsh and intermixed with flattened spines or prickles, like 

 sword blades. From America. One of them is, 



Ech. chrysuros, Schreb. (The Golden-tailed Echimys.) More than twice 

 the size of the Brown Rat; it is a beautiful animal, of a chesnut brown colour; 

 white belly; an elongated crest of hairs, and a white longitudinal band on 

 the head; the tail is long and black; the posterior half yellow. From 

 Guiana. 



Others, again, have merely the ordinary kind of hair, more or less rough. 

 The most remarkable is the 



Ech. dactylicus, Geoff. (The Long-toed Echimys. ) Which is still larger 

 than the Chrysuros, and has the two middle toes of the fore feet double the 

 length of the lateral ones. Its scaly tail is longer than the body; its fur is a 

 yellowish grey, and the hairs on its nose form a crest directed in front. 



HYDHOMYS, Geoff. 



The Hydromys have many external points of relation to the Echimys, but 

 they are distinguished from all other Rats by their hind feet, two-thirds of 



(1) Myoxusy Rat with a pointed nose. 



(2) Echimys, or Spiny Rat. Am. Ed. 



