ORDER RODENTIA. 137 



ther when they meet. Thus it is, that like the most feroci- 

 ous animals, they live in a solitary manner, and never seek 

 each other but at the season of love. The particulars of their 

 reproduction are not precisely known. The rut, it would 

 appear, takes places many times in the course of the spring, 

 the summer, and the autumn ; the gestation of the females 

 lasts four weeks, and occurs three or four times in the 

 year ; there are usually from six to twelve young ones, 

 which, after a very short lactation, quit the mother to go 

 and dig, each for itself, a burrow, and live by their own re- 

 sources. 



Some writers inform us, that the Hamsters pass the win- 

 ter in a profound lethargy ; others have some doubts con- 

 cerning the hibernation of these animals. It appears, how- 

 ever, very certain, that it takes place, and at this epoch all 

 the entrances to the burrows are closed up. 



The Hamster is not much larger than the common rat, 

 and has the same form of head and general physiognomy. 

 Notwithstanding, however, the general and numerous rela- 

 tions which approximate these animals to each other, they 

 differ very essentially, and form very distinct sub-genera. 

 The Hamsters, like the rats, have four incisors and twelve 

 molars, equally divided on each side of the two jaws ; 

 and these teeth have similar relation together. But in the 

 rat the coronal is formed of tubercles irregularly disposed, 

 while, in the Hamster, it is divided by very regular furrows. 

 The fore-feet have four toes, with a rudiment of a thumb, 

 furnished with a nail, which, imperfect as it is, may be 

 considered as a genuine toe ; for under the skin we find the 

 phalanx of which it is composed. The hind-feet have 

 five distinct toes, and those, like the first, are entirely free. 

 All these toes are furnished with long and sharp nails, pro- 

 per for digging. The tail is conical, and about eighteen or 

 twenty lines in length. The eyes small, globular, and pro- 

 jecting. The external conch of the ear is considerably ex- 



