24-3 MAMMALIA. GLIRES. Mole-Rats. 



its teeth. It feeds chiefly on the roots of the Lilium pomponii, Erythroriium, and other bulbous 

 plants. This fpecies varies in fize, thofe of Dauria being near nine inches long, while thofe farther 

 eaf ' - e fcarcely fix. The head is thick and flat, with a ihort fnout and blunt nofe ; the eyes are 

 very fmall and deep featei ; the body is fhort ana flattened, having very ftrong limbs, efpecially the 

 ' fore feet, on which the ciaws are long, , ftrong, and flightly bent ; the fur is dufky at the roots, . ' 

 fome individuals have a white line on the hinder part of the head ; the tail is fhort, round, blunt, 

 and almoft naked. 



$11 - 5. Blind Mole Rat. — 42. M. Myotalpa -fyphlus. 42. 



Of a veddifh afh colour : Has no tail, external eirs, or apparent eyes ; the ftet have 

 each five toes; and the fore-teeth are broad. Pallas, Glir. 76. n. 6. and p. 154. t. viii. 

 Schreber, iv. 7 iS. t. ccvi. 



Mbufe, of a reddifh afli colour, having no tail or external ears, and very minute eyes. Lepechm^ 

 It. i. 238. and Nov. com. Petrop. xiv. 504. t. 15. f. 1.— Spalax mieropthai'uus, or with very fmall 

 eyes. Guldenftaedt, Nov. com. Petrop. xiv. 409. t. 8. 9.— Spalax major. Erxleb. main. 377. — 

 Slepez. S. G. Gmelin, It. i. 131. t. 22. — Blind Mole-Rat. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 331. pi. xlvii. 

 f. 1. — Podolian Marmot. Penn. Synopf. h. 204. — Zemrii. Sm. BufF. viii. 232. 



Inhabits the fouthern parts of Ruffia, from Poland to the Volga. — Each individual forms bur- 

 rows under the turfy fori, of very confiderabie extent, with many lateral pafTages, and throws out 

 the earth at different diftances, in large hillocks, fometimes two yards in circumference, and propor- 

 tionally high. This fpecies works with its fnout, feet, rump, and even with its teeth, and digs 

 with great celerity, efpecially when frightened, in which cafe it digs directly downwards. When ir- 

 ritated, it fnorts, gnafhes its teeth, raifes its head in a menacing pofture, and bites with great feve- 

 rity. It feeds on roots, efpecially thofe of the bulbous Chaerophyllum. It is entirely blind, though. 

 it has the rudiments of very fmall eyes which are covered over with a continuation of the fkin ; but 

 it poffefles the fenfes of touch and hearing in a very eminent degree, to make up for the lofs of fight. 

 The body and head meafure between feven and eight inches, and weigh eight ounces ; the head is 

 very large, broad, and flattened, with a blunt nofe, covered at the end with a thick, naked, black 

 fkin ; the mouth is continually gaping, with fhort wrinkled fore-teeth above, and very long ones 

 below, likewife furrowed or wrinkled, none of them being hid by the lips ; the body is cylindrical, 

 and covered with fhort, foft, and clofe fet fur, which is of a dufky colour at the bottom, with the 

 ends of a rufty brown mixed with afh colour ; the fpace about the mouth and nofe are white ; the 

 legs are very fhort, having five toes on each foot armed with fhort claws, and flightly connected by 

 a lhort membrane at their bafes. It breeds in fpring and fummer; and the female, which has two 

 teats, brings from two to four young ones at a birth. — This is perhaps the only fpecies of warm 

 blooded animal which is deprived by nature of the fenfe of feeing, fuppofing that there is no mif- 

 rake in the information of travellers refpefting its utter blindnefs. — T. 



XXVII. M A R M O T.-25. ARCr MTS. 



Has two wedge-like cutting teeth in each jaw; five grinders 

 above, and four below, on each iide. Has collar bones. 



Th 



is 



