134 
CECONOMIC RAT. 
A. conomic, Hit. Quad. N° 313.—Defer. Kamtfchatka, Fr. ed. 392. 
AT. With naked ears, ufually hid in the fur: {mall eyes: teeth 
tawny: limbs ftrong: color, an intermixture of black and yel- 
low, darkeft on'the back: under fide hoary. 
~ Length four inches and a quarter, to the tail ; the tail one inch. 
Inhabits in vaft abundance Sidiria, from the eaft fide of the Ural- 
lian chain, even within the Arctic circle, and quite to Kamt/chatka. 
It is the noted Tegult/chitch of that country, diftinguifhed by its cu- 
rious ceconomy and by its vaft migrations. 
They make their burrows with the greateft fkill, immediately be- 
low the furface of the foft turfy foil. They form a chamber of a 
flattifh arched form, of a fmall height, and about a foot in diameter, 
to which they fometimes add as many as thirty fmall pipes or entrances. 
Near the chamber they often form other caverns, in which they lodge 
their winter ftores: thefe confift of various kinds of plants, even 
fome of fpecies poifonous to mankind. They gather them in fum- 
mer, harveft them, and even at times bring them out of the cells 
to give them a more thorough drying in the fun, The chief labor 
refts on the females. The males, during fummer, go about folitary, 
and inhabit fome old nefts; and in that feafon never touch their 
hoards, but live on berries. They are monogamous, and the male 
and female at other times found in the fame neft. The female brings 
two or three young at a time, and breeds often in the year. ~ 
10 No 
