[ 3 ] 



very small, close and truncate. Canine teeth very sharp, curved and long. Grin- 

 ders unequally trifid. Snout plain, nose without appendages. Ears separated, 

 auriculated. Tail mucronate. — This genus appears to differ from all those of 

 Geoffroy and Cuvier, among the extensive tribe of Bats. The name means house- 

 flyer. 



2. Eptesicus melanops. Fallowisn brown above, pale beneath, face, ears, wings, 

 feet and tail blackish ; ears oval, shorter than the head and wrinkled ; tail naked, 

 one-third of total length, mucrone one-sixth of the tail; posterior toes ciliate.-Not 

 uiicomrnon in Kentucky, Indiana, &c. total length four and an half inches. I 

 had noticed it under the name of Vespertilio phaiops in the American Magazine, 

 vol. 3d. -It comes often in the house at night. 



3. Eptesicus mydas. Fulvous above, grey beneath ; wings, ears and tail, pale 

 brown, shafts whitish ; ears double the length of the head ; tail naked, slightly 

 mucronate, nearly as long as the body. — I have observed it in the barrens of Ken- 

 tucky fl5dng in the houses. Total length three inches, of which the tail includes 

 five-twelfths. Ears three-quarters of an inch long. I mentioned it under the 

 name of Vesp. mydas in my account of the Bats of the western states, (Am. Mag. 

 v. 3). I have since instituted two other genera with them, Hypexodon and Nycti- 

 ceius (Prodr. 70 N. G. An) ; the others are probably Atalaphes. I know already 

 fifteen species of Bats in the United States, almost all new ones. 



4. Mephitis interrupta. Brown, with two short parallel white streaks on the 

 head, and eight on the back, the four anterior ones equal and parallel, and the 

 four posterior ones rectangular, angles in opposite directions. — A rare species, a- 

 bout one foot long, inhabiting Louisiana. The four rectangular streaks of the 

 rump are very singular ; the anterior pair begins on each side towards the middle 

 of the dorsal streaks, and reaching beyond them in a parallel line, 'become trans- 

 versally angular, forming an unequal right angle facing the dorsal streaks ; while 

 the posterior pair forms two complete right angles facing the sides of the rump, 

 their anterior lines being parallel and longitudinal. 



5. Spalax Dittatta. Fallow above with three longitudinal, broad and brown 

 streaks, white beneath. — It lives in the barrens and woods of Kentucky, where it 

 is called mole-rat: length seven inches, it has no tail whatever ; back bent, head 

 low, eyes small, ears small, oval, acute . it burrows like a mole and feeds on snails, 

 slugs, earthworms, &c. It has almost the shape of a pig, but the snout is rounded 

 and with small whiskers. 



6. Gerbillus megalops. Grey; ears elliptic, as long as the head, white inside; 

 tail black, longer than the body flexuose slender, tipt with a white tuft. — It inhab- 

 its the barrens of Kentucky, where it feeds on seeds and fruits ; total length six 

 inches, of which the tail composes more than half. Eyes very large and black, 

 snout black, elongated obtuse. 



7. Gerbillus leonurus. Entirely of a fine fallow ; ears elliptic, as long as the 

 head, white inside ; tail as long as the body, black, tipt with a fallow tuft. — It 

 lives in the woods of Kentucky, Indiana, &c. Eyes small. It rather jumps than 

 runs, while the foregoing species is of tener seen running than jumping. 



8. Cricetus fasciatus. Rufous, with about ten transversal black streaks over 

 the back, legs with some similar streaks ; tail rather shorter than the body, slen- 

 der and with black rings : pouches external, flaccid. — This is the Hamster of the 

 barrens of Kentucky and the western states ; it has a thick body, the head 

 like a dog, small eyes and ears, these oval and acute, the forehead rounded and 

 the pouches hanging like bags. 



9. Lemmus vittatus. Rufous, with five longitudinal white streaks on the back, 

 the middle one extending over the head to the nose, white beneath ; tail truncate 

 as long as the head. — A very pretty little animal, about four inches long, living in 

 the woods and fields of west Kentucky, Illinois, c^c. The female has six pecto- 

 ral paps, and carries her young on her back while running. Eyes small, snout 

 sharp, ears small and oval-rounded. 



10. Lemmus talpoides. Iron-grey, belly whitish ; tail truncate, as long as the 

 head. — It is found in west Kentucky, where it is called ground mouse or snow 

 mouse, because it burrows in the ground like the mole, feeding on roots and grass, 

 while in the winter it burrows under the snow, at the surface of the ground, to 

 feed on tender grass. 



11. Lemmus noveboracensis. Brown, with a rufous tinge above, brownish grey 

 beneath ; tail three-elevenths of total length, obtuse, brownish grey, scaly, setose, 

 with a pencil of hair at the end. — Total length five and an half inches ; it has 



