70 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



external ears. The two middle toes on the 



fore-feet of the male have the appearance of 



possessing double nails, because the skin at the 



end of the toe is callous, and projects under the 



nail. This is a conformation nowhere to be 



met with but in this animal. It is as large as a 



Rat, and lives underground in North America. 



2d. Come the Rats, whose cheek-teeth are divided 



from their base into roots, but the flat coronals of 



which present transverse and projecting lines. They 



are also particularly frugivorous. We reckon two 



sub-genera of them. 



The Echimys (Echimys Geoffr.), Loncheres,Illig. 



Have four cheek-teeth throughout, each of which 

 in the lower range present four transverse laminae 

 joined two by two. In the upper there are but three, 

 of which two are thus united : — They are American 

 animals, which with a form pretty similar to that of 

 our Rats, often have hairs flattened, wide, stiff, and 

 terminating in a point, forming in fact genuine flat 

 spines, after the manner of a sword-blade. 



The Echimys with golden tail, Lerot with golden tail, of 

 Buff on, (Hystrix, Chrysuros, Schreb.) Buff. Supp. VIL 



LXXII. 



Nearly as large as a Rabbit, of a marron-brown, 

 with white belly, a crest of elongated hairs, and 

 a white longitudinal band on the head. The 

 tail is long and black, but its lower moiety is 

 yellow. A native of Guiana. 



