MUSQUASH. 263 



(P 173) : " This Country (New York) Lreeda many 

 Musk Cats, especially in Marshy Grounds. These Beasts 

 are beautiful to the eye, having black Speckled Skins, 

 their Mouths full of shar]) teeth, and their tails being 

 long trail after them." 



According to this work, the Musk-rat seems also to 

 have inhabited Tobago. This local variety is thus 

 described. 



(P. 382) : " The great Musk-rats are as big as a 

 Eabbet, and like them live in holes made in the ground, 

 but resemble an European Piat, only their skins are 

 black, except one part of their bellies, which are white ; 

 they smell so strong of Musk that it overcomes those 

 that carry them.' 



Dr. Eichardson, in his " Northern Zoology," p. 117, 

 says that " their flesh is eaten by the Indians, and when 

 it is fat they prize it for a time, but are said to tire of 

 it soon : it somewhat resembles flabby pork." 



COYPU EAT, OE NUTEIA. 



Myopotamus coypus. 

 French : Eat gondin. German : Affe. 



This large Eodent, next in size to the Beaver, is only 

 found in Brazil, and the Argentine Eepublic. 



The Coypu Eat is about 2 feet long, not including the 

 tail, which is from 9 to 10 inches in length. The 

 general colour is a speckled yellowish-brown ; the cheeks 

 and belly are yellowish, the whiskers white. Many are 

 a light brown colour all over, some are nearly white, and 

 others are very dark on the back. The ears are short. 

 The water-hairs are long, about 3 inches, speckled, and 

 bristly. The tail is long, and covered with bushy hairs. 



