ORDER X. THE KODENTIA. 



with a narrow aperture at tlie top. Having laid up a store of food, and, 

 like other hibernating animals, having become very fat towards the end of 

 autumn, it betakes itself to its retreat, and rolling itself up into a ball, falls 

 into a state of torpidity, from which it is now and then aroused by an un- 

 usually mild day, when it partakes of its provision, and relapses into its 

 usual condition. The young are of a. brownish-gray color, four or five in 

 number. In the third volume of the Naturalist, at page 104, Mr. Salmon 

 gives the following account of an individual which he happened to capture 

 on the l(5[h December, liS37 : — 



" As I was pushing my way amongst the briers and brambles, I chanced 

 to stumble upon an interesting incident, in the slia^ie of a little ball of grass, 

 curiously interwoven, lying on the ground. It was about eight inches in 

 circumference, and on taking it up I soon ascertained. In' the faint sound 

 emitted from the interior on my handling it, that it contained a prisoner. I 

 bore my prize homeward for examination, and on making a slight openin"-, 

 inunediately issued forth one of those beautiful little creatures, the dor- 

 mouse. The heat of my hand, and tiie warmtli of the room, had completely 

 revived it from its torpor. It appeared to enjoy its transition by nimbly 

 scaling every part of the furniture in all directions. It experienced no diffi- 

 culty in cither ascending or descending the polished backs of the chairs, and 

 when I attempted to secure it, it leaped from chair to chair with astonisiiing 

 agility for so small a creature. On taking it into my hand, it showed not 

 the least disposition to resent the liberty, but, on the contrary, it was very 

 d<jcile. On being set at liberty, it sprang at least two yards on to a table. 

 I was much gratified on witnessing its sprightly movements. In the even- 

 ing I placed my little stranger, with its original domicile, in a box, of which, 

 on the following morning, I found it had taken possession, and again re- 

 lapsed into a state of torpidity, in which condition I transferred my uncon- 

 scious sleeper to a friend." 



Genus IMus. — Rats and j\Iice. The generic characters are, perfect clavi- 

 cles, three grinders below on each side, and the same above. Upjier in- 

 cisors chisel-shaped ; lower, compressed and pointed ; tail long, tapering, 

 annulated with scales, and quite bare. 



Mns liattus — The Black Rat. This species is grayish-black above, and 

 Llackisli-gray beneath. The ears are about half the length of the head, the 

 tail is rather longer than the united lengths of head and body. Tiiis rat 

 was once very abundant both in this country and England, but owing to 

 causes not clearly ascertained, it has become (piite scarce. Some naturalists, 

 however, hold the opinion that it has been destroyed by the more powerful 

 and ferocious brown rat. The well known character of the latter for auda- 

 city, savageness, and a carnivorous taste, together with its superior strength, 

 renders the opinion not unreasonable. 



