CHAPTER IX. 



Animals — Sioux and Omawhaw Indians — Winter residence 

 at Engineer Cantonment. 



The subsequent account of the transactions at and near 

 Council Bluff, one of the observations made there, we copy 

 from the journal of Mr. Say. 



Descriptions of some of the animals which occured, are 

 given in notes.* 



* Vesperlilio pruinosus. Ears large, short, not so long- as the head, 

 hairy on the exterior side more than half their length; tragus very obtuse 

 at tip, arquated; canine teeth large, prominent; incisors, only one distinct 

 one on each side, placed very near the canine, conic, almost on a line 

 with it, and furnished with a small tubercle on its exterior base: nosty-ih 

 distant;yur of the back, long, black brown at base, then pale brownish 

 yellow, then blackish, then white; towards the rump dark ferruginous 

 takes the place of the brownish-yellow on the fur; beneath the colours 

 are similar to those of the back, but on the anterior portion of the breast 

 the fur is not tipped with white, and on the throat it is dull yellowish- 

 white dusky at base; the brachial membrane is densely hairy on the an- 

 terior margin beneath; interfemoral membrane covered with fur; Length 

 nearly 4 1-2 inches. 



This bat is common in this region, and was observed by Mr. Thomas 

 Nuttall at Council Bluff. It is a fine large species, and remarkable for its 

 many coloured fur. It has much affiuity with the New York bat, (V. No- 

 vaboracensis,) but is more than double its size, and is distinguished from 

 it by many minor characters. 



The late professor Barton, presented a specimen of this bat to the Pkila- 

 delphia museum, that had been captured in Philadelphia. 



Vespertilio arquatus. Head large; ears rather shorter than the head, 

 wide, and at tip, rounded, hairy at base, posterior edge with two slight and 

 very obtuse emarginations; the anterior base distant from the eje; tragus 

 arquated, obtuse at tip; interfemoral membrane naked, including the tail 

 to one half of the penultimate joint. 



Total length 5 inches. — Tail 11-2 inches. 



Expansion more than 13 inches. 



