198 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



on the back by long, rough, brown hairs, some of which are 

 white at the tip; the limbs are brown, and the tail black. 

 It is about the size of a Cat. . 



The Aye Aye appears to be of a timid disposition, and of 

 nocturnal habits; it is very slow in all its movements. 

 M. Sonnerat kept several for two or three months; it was 

 very difficult to rouse them during day; their food consisted 

 of boiled rice, which they took to the mouth with the long 

 fingers, in the manner in which the Chinese use their eat- 

 ing-sticks for the same purpose. 



It is an inhabitant of Madagascar, and takes its vulgar 

 name from the noise it makes. 



We omitted to notice, either among, or immediately 

 after the Marmots *, an animal, which for its rarity is en- 

 graved from Major Smith's drawing, from a specimen in 

 Mr. Peel's museum, Philadelphia. 



Of the correct allocation of this animal in systematic ar- 

 rangement there seems to be some doubt, which we are not 

 able to remove, by stating the particulars of its organic 

 analogies. It is named in the museum the Prairie Dog, 

 and is the type, we believe, of Raffinesque's genus Cynomys. 



The traveller Le Rey says, an animal is found in the 

 plains beyond the Missouri, called le Prairie Chien; it is 

 smaller than the gray Fox ; it digs holes and burrows in a 

 light loamy soil, and in the same holes a small speckled 

 Snake takes shelter, which, the Indians say, is the Dog's 

 guard. The Indians have many superstitious notions re- 

 specting these Dogs ; the Ay-oo-wars, or Nepeirce nation, 

 have a tradition, that the human race sprang from the Dog 

 and the Beaver. All the other nations hold them in great 

 veneration. 



* The Marmots and their consimilars are not very satisfactorily ascer- 

 tained ; they have lately been revised, and the result at present will be 

 found stated in the table. 



