348 THE ONDRATA. 



the southern limit of its geographical range extends to about 

 30 north latitude, and its northern to the mouth of the 

 Mackenzie, 60 north latitude. Bartram says, it is found in 

 the North of Georgia and Florida. 



The ondrata varies considerably in size ; but the ordinary 

 length of the head and body is one foot two inches, and that 

 of the tail eight inches and a half. 



The head is broad and short ; the eyes are large ; and the 

 ears short and hairy on both surfaces. The body is thick and 

 rather flat; the legs are very short j the hind-feet large j* 

 and the tail, which is long and compressed, convex on the 

 sides, with its acute edges in a vertical plane, tapers gradually 

 from the middle where it is thickest, to the end, which is blunt. 

 The fur on the back is dark umber brown 5 that on the sides 

 of the body, anterior part of the belly, middle of the breast, 

 sides of the neck, and on the cheeks, is shining yellowish 

 brown ; while that on the chin, throat, sides of the chest, and 

 posterior part of the abdomen, is ash-grey. The sides of the 

 tail are sparingly covered with sleek, dusky-brown hairs, which 

 being short allow a number of small roundish scales, of the 

 same colour and well separated from each other, to appear 

 through them ; along the acute edges of the tail the hair is 

 longer, and is dark brown on the upper edge, and soiled white 

 on the under one. Black, pied, and white varieties of the 

 ondrata are occasionally found, the first rarely, but the last 

 not unfrequently. 



Small lakes, swamps, or the grassy borders of sluggish 

 streams with muddy bottoms, are the ondrata's favourite 

 haunts. Its habitation, dug in their banks, is always con- 

 cealed by a bush or clump of trees. In this abode, which is 

 neatly constructed, and quite smooth on the inside, it gene- 

 rally remains till dusk, when it comes out to feed. 



The animals live in pairs during the summer, and the male 

 and female are rarely seen apart. Though watchful, they are 

 not very shy, for they will approach very close to a boat or 

 * Hearne incorrectly states that they are webbed. 



