124 MUSK-RAT. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



The Musk-Rat, although the only species in the genns, was moved 

 about among several genera, before it found a resting place under its 

 present name. Schreber placed it under Mus. Gmelin and F. Cuviee de- 

 scribed it as a Lemmus. Linn^us and Erxleben, arranged it with the 

 beaver, and referred it to the genus Castor. Lesson, Lacepede and Cu- 

 viee, under Ondatra. In 1811, Illiger proposed changing its specific into 

 a generic name. As Linn^us had called it Castor Fiber, he then esta- 

 blished for it the genus Fiber. 



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