ORDER RODENTIA. 161 



The species included in it, destined to Jive underground 

 like the two Moles, are remarkable for the cylindrical and 

 elongated form of their body ; the largeness and flatness of 

 their head ; the strength of their incisive teeth, which are 

 cut square in each jaw ; the smallness, if not total absence 

 of external eyes and ears ; the shortness of the paws ; num- 

 ber of the toes, five on each foot ; and smallness, or total 

 want of a tail. 



We shall proceed without further observations on the 

 genus to a consideration of the species. The principal of 

 which is 



The Zemni, Blind Rat of Pennant and Shaw, to which 

 Guldenstaedt applied the Greek name, Spalax, has been 

 hitherto referred to the Mole. This singular animal attains 

 nearly ten inches in length, and its cylindrical body is full 

 two inches in diameter. Its thick head, nearly pyramidical, 

 narrower in front, is terminated by a very hard and strong 

 cartilaginous muzzle ; on each side of the head is a salient 

 line, extending from the nostrils to the meatus auditorius. 

 The nostrils are round and narrow ; the opening of the 

 mouth is small. The incisive teeth are extremely promi- 

 nent and strong, of an orange-yellow colour, those in the 

 lower jaw twice the length of the others ; the under lip is 

 shorter than the upper, and does not cover the teeth ; the 

 eyes are stated in the text. Aristotle, says Olivier, has 

 observed that externally there are no traces of eyes : if the 

 skin of the head be taken off, a tendinous expansion may 

 be perceived extending over the orbits (and which forms 

 outwardly the salient line above-mentioned,) immediately 

 under which is a glandulous body, oblong, a little flatted, 

 toward the middle of which is a black spot, representing 

 the globe of the eye, and which appears perfectly well or- 

 ganized, though not half a line in thickness. We may per- 

 ceive in cutting the scelotique, the several substances which 

 compose the eye. Nothing in short appears wanting to 



