586 ZOOLOGY. 
as a muskrat, is nocturnal in its habits and, therefore, rarely 
seen, and burrows in the earth, feeding on roots. 
The lowest in intelligence are, perhaps, the hares, rep- 
resented by the common varying hare (Lepus America- 
nus Erxleben, Fig. 505), of which an interesting variety, 
L. Bairdii, lives on the Alpine summits of the Rocky Moun- 
Fig. 506.—The Spalax or Blind Rat.—After Owen. 
tains. The largest of all existing rodents is the Capy- 
bara of South America, which looks like a pig. This is 
succeeded by the porcupine, which either lives in trees or 
burrows in the earth, while the more intelligent, active 
forms are the beaver, muskrat, the European blind rat 
(Spalaz, Fig. 506) the rats and mice, squirrels, and lastly 
the marmots. The domes- 
tic mouse and the:two rats, 
the brown or Norway rat 
(Mus decumanus Pallas), 
the black rat (Aldus ratius 
Linn.), and the common 
house mouse (Mus muscu- 
ig. 6 ‘sO, —Jumping Mouse (Zapus hud- lus Linn.), are cosmopoli- 
sonius).—From Tenney’s Zoology. tan animals. The jumping 
mouse (Fig. 507) has remarkably long hind legs and short 
fore legs. Peculiar to the western plains is the prairie-dog, 
(Cynomys ludovicianus) which represents the marmots of 
the Old World ; it is semi-social and takes in perforce as 
boarders the owl and rattlesnake, which devour its young. 
