ORDER CARNASS1ER. 185 



vertebrae, and two ribs more than the common species, 

 having fourteen altogether. The Shrew of Daubenton has 

 but one less, thirteen. 



Some others are mentioned in the table as unauthenti- 

 cated and uncertain. 



We shall now speak of the sub-genus Desman (Mygale). 



The Desman is in the same predicament in relation to 

 the Shrews as the Ondatra to the Field-mice. It is larger, 

 and more necessitated to the adoption of an aquatic 

 life. 



This genus has been known since the year 1605, and yet 

 there has been no classification of the Mammalia in which 

 it has not received a different allocation. It was first given by 

 Clusius under the denomination of Mus aquaticus exoticus. 

 Aldrovandus soon reduced this title to the simple name of 

 genus and of species, calling the animal Mus aquatilis. 

 Klein afterwards ranged it among the Dormice, giving it 

 the name of Glis moschiferus. Hill and Brisson confined 

 themselves to the name of Musk-rat, under which it had 

 been so long confounded with the Ondatra. Finally, what 

 had been a mere conjecture of Brisson, who had given too 

 exclusive an attention to the form of the tail, was decidedly 

 adopted by Linnaeus. The Desman passed among the Cas- 

 tors, with which it remained confounded in the tenth and 

 twelfth editions of the Systema Natura, under the name of 

 Castor Moschatus. 



Some original labours appeared soon after. Such were 

 the descriptions of this species by Buffon, Gmelin, and Gul- 

 denstadt. But little resulted from their researches to en- 

 rich the natural history of the Desman, except with better 

 figures than any before published. 



The true affinities of this species were not ascertained 

 and fixed until the year 1781. Pallas, after having esta- 

 blished and discussed all its characters, finally replaced it 

 among the Shrews, and his Soreoc Moschatus was adopted by 



