228 MAMMALIA. GLIRES. Rats and Mies. 



in the Blue mountains of Virginia, at a diftance from the peopled part of the country, which comes 

 out only at night, and makes a terrible noife. 



464 4. Brown Rat. — 5. Mus decumanus. 6. 



Has a long, naked, fcaly tail ; the upper parts of the body are of a light brown, mixed 

 with tawny and a(h colour, the lower parts dirty white. Pallas, glir. 91. n. 40. Schre- 

 ber, iv. 645. t. clxxviii. 



Mus norwegicus, or Norwegian Rat, with a long tail, and of a reddifh colour, having four toes 

 on the fore feet, with a fmall claw in place of the fifth, or thumb. Erxleb. mam. 3 8 1 . n. 1 . — Mus 

 filveftris, or Wild Rat, with a very long tail, of a dilute reddifh brown colour, the belly whitifh. 

 BrifF. quad. 170. n. 3. — Mus aquaticus. Gefn, aquat. 732. — Surmul'ot, or Brown Rat. Sm. Buff, 

 iv. 336. pi. xcvi. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 298. Arct. zool. n. 57. — Norway Rat. Brit. zool. i. 

 n. 26. — Bandicote. Purchas, iL 11 70. 



Inhabits India and Periia, and has only been known in Europe in the prefent century. — Dwells in 

 burrows which it digs in the banks of rivers, and frequents towns, aqueducts, drains, necefiaries, 

 ftables, barns, gardens, fields, and houfes; it fwims and dives with great dexterity, feeds on vege- 

 tables, grain, fruits, and even deftroys poultry ; is hunted greedily by Cats, Dogs, and Ferrets. This 

 animal lays up ftores of acorns, beach-maft, and other provifions, in its holes, in which the males re- 

 main during winter, except in fine weather, without hybernating, but the females and their young 

 live moftly in barns and out-houfes in that feafon : It often emigrates from one place to another in 

 great companies. The female produces three times in the year, having twelve or fifteen, even eigh- 

 teen or nineteen, at a litter. The body, of a full grown individual, is near nine inches long ; the 

 tail, which confifts of two hundred rings, is feven and a half inches in length; and the whole body 

 ufuaily weighs from eight ounces to a pound ; the feet are naked, and of a dirty flefh colour ; the 

 toes are very diftinct; the whifkers are longer than the head ; and the eyes are large, black, and 

 prominent. This fpecies is probably the Mus cafpicus of ^Elian, which he fays was nearly as large 

 as the Ichneumon, and made periodical vifits in vaft multitudes to the countries which border on 

 the Cafpian, fwimming boldly over the rivers, holding by each others tails. iElian. hift. cap. xviL 



465 5. Black Rat. — 6. Mus Raltus. 12. 



Has a very long fcaly tail - r the upper parts of the body are deep black grey, and the 

 under parts afh coloured. Pallas, glir. 93. n. 41. Schreber, iv. 647. t. clxxix.. 



Mus Rattus, or Common Rat, with a long and almoft naked tail ; having four toes, and a fmall 

 claw in place of the fifth, on each fore foot, and five on the hind feet. Syft. nat. ed. xii. 83. Faun. 

 Suec. ii. 12. n. 33. Mull, prodr. 5. n. 31. Briff. quad. 168. n. 1. Gronov. zooph. 4. n. 18. — 

 Mus domefticus major, or Larger domeftic Moufe, ufuaily named Rat. Gefn. quad. 731. Raj. 

 quad. 217.— Rattus. Aldrov. dig. 415.— Glis. Jonft. quad. t. 60.— Sorex. Hufnagel, archetyp. 3. 

 t. iii.— Rat. Sm. BufF. iv. 275. pi. Ixxi. f. 1.— Black Rat. Penn. hift.. of quad. n. 297. Arc!:, zool. 

 n. 56. — Common Rat. Brit. zool. i. n. 27. 



Inhabits India, Perfia, and Europe, except its moft northern parts ; from hence it has been carried 

 to Africa and America, and is frequent in Otaheite, though lefs commen in the other iflands of the 



fouthcrn 



