Clafs L W A T E R R A T. loi 



Species IIL The WATER RAT. 



Le Rat d'Eau, BeIo7i^o.pL 31. De Buffon, To?;i. vii. 348. Tah.^^. 



Mus major aquadcus, feu Ratlus Mus ampbibius. Mus cauda 



aquaticus. Raiifpi. quad, zi 7. elongata pilofa plantis palrna- 



Sorex aquaticus. Charlton ex.2^. tis. Lin. fyfi.'^z. 



Meyer s mm. ii. Tab. 84. Caftor Cauda lineari tereti- Fann. 



Mus Cauda longa pilis fupra ex Suec. 2^. Ed. i. Musamphi- 



nigro et fiavefcente mjxds, in- bius 32. Ed. 2. 



fra cinereis vellifus. Brijfon Mus aquatilis. Klein quad. jjr. 



quad. 1 24. Br. Zool, 48. 







NAMES. 





Brit. 



Llygoden y dwfr 



Germ, 



WalTer maus, W. Rata 



Fren. 



Le Rat d'eaa 



Dui. 



Water-rot 



Ital. 



Sorgo morgange 



S=tved. 



Watn-ratta 



Span, 





Dan. 



Vand-rotte 



Fori. 









T IN N yEUS, from the external appearance of 

 "^^ this animal, has in one of his fyftems placed it 

 in the fame genus with the beaver. The form of the 

 head, the {hortnefs of the ears, and the thicknefs of the 

 fur, and the places it haunts, vindicate in fome degree 

 the opinion that naturalift was at that time of: but 

 the form of the tail is fo different from that of the 

 beaver, as to oblige him to reftore the water rat to the 

 clafs he found it, in the fyftem of ourilluftrious coun- 

 tryman Ray. 



The water-rat never frequents houfes ; but is al- 

 ways found on the banks of rivers, ditches and ponds, 

 where it burroughs and breeds. It feeds on fmali 

 fifh, or the fry of greater; on frogs, infedls, and 

 fometimes on roots ; it has a fi(hy talle ^ and in fome 



H 3 coun- 



