146 MAMMALIA. 
Buff. XIII, xiv. (The Common Hamster.) Larger than the 
Rat; of a reddish-grey above, black on the flanks and under- 
neath, with three whitish spots on each side. The feet, a 
spot under the throat, and another under the breast white ; 
some individuals are all black. This animal, so agreeably varied 
in colour, is one of the most noxious that exist, gathering large 
quantities of grain with which it fills its burrow that is some- 
times seven feet deep. It is common in all the sandy regions, 
that extend from the north of Germany to Siberia. 
This last country produces several small species of Hamsters 
described by Pallas.(1) 
Arvicota, Lacep. 
The Arvicolz, like the Rats, have three grinders every where, but 
without roots, each one being formed of triangular prisms, placed 
on two alternate lines. They may be subdivided into several 
groups, viz. 
Fiser, Cuv. 
The Ondatras or Field Rats having semi-palmated hind feet, a long, 
scaly and compressed tail, of which one species only is. well known. 
fF. vulgaris ; Castor zibeticus, L.; Mus zibeticus, Gm.; Buff. X, 
i, (The Canadian Musk-Rat or Ondatra.) As large as a Rab- 
bit, of a reddish-grey. In winter they construct, on the ice, a 
hut of earth, in which several of them reside together, passing 
through a hole in the bottom, for the roots of the acorus on 
which they feed. They neither dive nor swim well. It is this 
habit of building which has induced some authors to refer the 
Ondatra to the genus Castor. The second subdivision is 
that of 
ArvicoLa, Cuv.—Hyrupavs, Illig. 
Our common Field Rats, which have a hairy tail, about the length 
of the body, and simple or not palmated feet. 
4. vulgaris ; Mus amphibius, L.; Buff. VII, xliii. (The Water 
Rat.) A little larger than the Common Rat, of a deep greyish- 
brown; tail the length of the body. Inhabits the banks of rivers, 
&c. and burrows in marshy places. 
‘2. terrestris ; Mus terrestris, Lin. (The Schermaus.) Seems 
to differ from the Water Rat only in being somewhat smaller ; 
its tail also is shorter. It lives under ground like the Mole, 
(1) M: accedula.—M. arenarius.—M. pheeus.—M. songarus.—M. furunculus. ~ 
See Pall. Glir, and Sch. 
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