224 ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEOTOMA. 



are longer than those of the fore-feet, and the claws less hooked ; the 

 middle toe is the longest, those on each side of it of nearly an equal 

 length ; the outer one a little shorter, and the inner shortest of all. The 

 palms on the fore and hind-feet are naked, but the toes, even beyond the 

 nails, are covered with short, adpressed hairs. The hairs of the tail 

 (which are not capable of a distichous arrangement) are short near the 

 root, and gradually lengthen toward the end, where it is large and bushy, 

 the hairs being one inch in length. 



Incisors, yellow ; on the whole of the back, the head, shoulders, and 

 outsides of the thighs, a dusky darkish-brown, proceeding from a mixture 

 of yellowish-brown and black hairs. From the roots to near the tips, the 

 fur is of a dark lead-colour, tipped with light-brown and black. The 

 sides of the face and the ventral aspect, are bluish-gray. Margin of the 

 upper lip, chin, feet, and under surface, dull white ; whiskers, black and 

 white, the former colour predominating ; tail, grayish-brown above, dull 

 yellowish-white beneath. 



The above is the colour of this species from the end of summer through 

 the following winter to the time of shedding the hair in May ; when in 

 its new coat it has far less of yellowish-brown, and puts on a gray ap- 

 pearance on the back, this colour gradually assuming more of the yellow- 

 ish hue as the autumn advances and the fur lengthens and thickens 

 toward wrinter. 



From point of nose to root of tail 



9 inches 



Tail (vertebrae) . 



. 



7J do. 



Tail, including fur 



. 



84 do. 



Height of ear, posteriorly 



. 



1 do. 



Length of whiskers 



HABITS. 



4 do. 



We regret that from personal observation, we have no information to 

 give in regard to the habits of this species, having never seen it in a living 

 state. It was, however, seen by Lewis and Clarke, by Drummond, Doug- 

 lass, NuTTALL, and Townsend. According to the accounts given by these 

 travellers, this Neotoma appears to have nearly the same general habits 

 as the smaller species, {N. Floridana,) the Florida rat, but is much more 

 destructive than the latter. It has a strong propensity to gnaw, cut to 



