CANADA POUCHED RAT. 337 



manner of hogs. They cannot travel faster when above ground than a 

 man walks ; they feed frequently whilst seated on their rump, using 

 their lore-feet and long claws somewhat in the manner of squirrels. 

 When sleeping they place their heads beneath the shoulder on the breast, 

 and look like a round ball or a lump of earth. They clean their hair, 

 whiskers, and body, in the same manner as rats, squirrels, 6j.c. 



We kept four of these animals alive for several weeks, and they never 

 during that time drank any thing, although we offered them both water 

 and milk. We fed them on cabbages, potatoes, carrots, &c., of which 

 they ate a larger quantity than we supposed them capable of consuming. 

 They tried constantly to make their escape, by gnawing at the floor of 

 the apartment. They slept on any of the clothing about the room which 

 would keep them warm ; and these mischievous pets cut the lining of our 

 hunting coat, so that we were obliged to have it repaired and patched. 

 We had left a handkerchief containing sundry articles, tied as we thought 

 securely, but they discovered it, and on opening it one of them caught 

 hold of our thumb, with (luckily) only one of his incisors, and hung on 

 until we shook it off violently. While confined thus in our room, these 

 animals gnawed the leather straps of our trunks, and although we rose 

 frequently from our bed at night to stop their career of destruction, they 

 began to gnaw again as soon as we ^vere once more snugly ensconced 

 beneath the counterpane. Two of them entered one of our boots, and 

 probably not liking the idea of returning by the same way, ate a hole at 

 the toes, by which they made their exit. We have given in our plate 

 four figures of this singular species. 



The nest of the Canada Pouched Rat is usually rounded, and is about 

 eight inches in diameter. It is well lined with soft substances as well as 

 with the hair of the female. It is not placed at the end of a burrow, nor 

 in a short gallery, but generally in one that is in the centre of sundry 

 others diverging to various points, at which the animal can escape if 

 pursued, and most of which lead to the vicinity of grounds where their 

 favourite food is abundant. 



The female brings forth from five to seven young at a litter, about the 

 end of March or early in April . They are at a very early period able to 

 run about, dig burrows, and provide for themselves. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Pseudostoma bursarius has a wide geographical range. We 

 found it in all those places we visited, east of the Rocky Mountains and 

 west of the Mississippi, where the soil and food suited its habits. It 



44 



