58 



fur is moderately long and very soft, and has a silk-like gloss : the 

 deep golden yellow colouring extends over the upper parts and sides 

 of the head and body, and also over the outer side of the limbs : on 

 the back, the hairs are brownish at the tip, hence in this part the 

 fur assumes a deeper hue than on the sides of the body : the sides 

 of the muzzle, throat, and under parts of the body are white, but 

 faintly tinted with yellow : on the back, and sides of the body, all 

 the hairs are of a deep gray or lead colour at the base ; and on the 

 under parts of the body, the hairs are indistinctly tinted with gray 

 at the base. The feet and tail are white. The ears are of moderate 

 size, furnished externally with deep golden-coloured hairs, and in- 

 ternally with whitish hairs. The moustaches consist of black and 

 white hairs intermixed. 



" The skull, when compared with that of Cricetus vulgaris, differs 

 in not having the anterior root of the zygomatic arch produced an- 

 teriorly in the form of a thin plate, which in tliat animal, as in the 

 Rats, serves to protect an opening which is connected with the nasal 

 cavity : the facial portion of the skull is proportionately longer and 

 narrower : in size there is much difference, the skull of Cricetus au- 

 ratus being one inch and six lines in length, and ten lines in breadth, 

 measuring from the outer side of the zygomatic arches." 



