226 MAMMALIA. GLIRES. Beaver-Rats. 



Caftor zibethicus, or Civet Beaver. Syft. nat. ed. xii. i. 79. — Mus mofchiferus canadenfis, Ca- 

 nadian Mufk Rat, or Mufk Beaver, having the tail flattened fidewife, and all the toes feparate. 

 Brifl". quad. 136. — Ondatra, or Canadian Muflc Rat. Sm. Buff. v. 260. pi. cxxx. — Rat mufque. 

 Sarrafin, aft. Parif. 1725, p. 323. t. it, f. 1. 2.— Charlev. nouv. Fr. v. 157. Lefcarbot, nouv. Fr. 

 350. — Defmans Rotter. Kalm. It. iii. 19.— Mufk Beaver. Penn. b-ift. of quad. n. 252. Arch zool. 

 n. 41. — Mufqualh. Joffelyn, voy. to New Engl. 86. — Muffafcus. Smith, Virginia. 27. — Muflc Rat. 

 Lawfon, Carolina. 120. Lever. Muf. 



Inhabits North America. — This animal dwells near the fides of ftagnant waters, where it builds 

 finall round huts, of herbs and reeds cemented together with clay, and covered with a dome or arch- 

 ed roof, having feveral pipes or galleries pafling out at the lower part, through which it can go in 

 queft of food. So far its manners refemble thofe of the Beavers ; but its labours are greatly lefs 

 ingenious, and it does not lay up ftores of provifions for winter. It feeds chiefly on herbs and fruits 

 in fummer, and in winter moftly on roots, efpecially thofe of the Acorns and Nymphaea, or Sweet- 

 fcented flag and Water Klip and it fometimes feeds on fhell-fifh, efpecially cones, conchae. The 

 males and females live together in pairs all fummer, and breed three or four times during that fea- 

 fon ; the female, which has fix teats on her belly, brings from three to fix young ones at a litter. 

 It fwims and dives with great facility, but, when on the land, the gait is very unfteady. The nofie is, 

 thick and blunt, having large eyes, and fhort ears almoft hid in the fur ; the toes of the hind feet, 

 inftead of webs, are fringed on each fide with ftrong white hairs, which are clofely fet ; the tail is 

 compreffed fidewife, very thin at the edges, and is covered with fmall fcales intermixed with a few 

 fcattered hairs ; the body is about a foot in length, and weighs three pounds ; the tail is nine inches 

 long ; the fur is very foft, of a dark reddifli brown colour on the head and upper parts ef the body, 

 and afh colour, tinged with red, on the belly and breaft ; near the anus are fome febaceous glands, 

 which fecrete an oily fluid fmelling ftrongly of mufk, efpecially in fummer. In the general form of 

 the body and flat fcaly tail this animal refembles the Beaver, with which its manners and economy 

 have likewife a very ftriking coincidence •, in flze, however, and length of tail, it comes nearer to the 

 Brown Rat j but in its general appearance, and in the Ihort hairy ears, it refembles the Water Rat,. 



** RATS and MIC E ,— M U R E S. 

 Having round tails. 



Thefe Dr Gmelin feparates into two divifions, diftinguifhed from each other by the drcumftance 

 of their tails being naked or hairy. The former he names Myofuxi, and the latter Cuiiicular'il.. 



\ Having naked round tails. — Myofur'u 



I, Pil oris. — 3. Mus Pilorules. 3. 

 Has a cylindrical tail which is blunt at the end, and covered with fcaies.. 

 Of this there are two varieties mentioned in authors. 



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