212 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 
on the opposite side of the palm. The thumb is of sufficient length to be of use in grasping, 
and its upper phalanx is closely covered by a smooth rounded nail. As in the marmots, the 
second toe is the longest, the third is a little shorter, the first is about two lines shorter than 
the second, and the fourth or last is scarcely shorter than the first, being considerably longer 
than the thumb. The claws are large and very much compressed, so that their edges are in 
contact beneath nearly their whole length. They are slightly arched above and nearly. 
straight below. The hind-feet are more slender than the fore ones, and the claws are about 
one-half smaller, rather more arched, and less compressed, their edges separating beneath so 
as to form a narrow oblong groove towards their points. The soles are longer than the 
palms, and are naked to the heel. They are furnished with four callous eminences situated 
at the roots of the toes, and two placed further back, all more conspicuous than those on the 
hind-feet of the American spermophiles. The innermost and outermost toe are nearly equal 
in length, and are shorter than the three others. 
Fur.—The quality of the fur is very much like that of a rabbit when out of season. It 
consists of a close short fur, four or five lines long, mixed with longer hairs. The latter are 
most numerous about the sides of the neck and fore-part of the back. They are scattered 
over the posterior part of the back and belly, and are numerous on the shoulders and thighs, 
The sides and upper part of the nose are covered with short fur, and the fur on all the feet 
is short. 
Colour.—lIncisors yellow; claws white. The general hue of the back is intermediate 
between umber and chestnut browns, without any tendency towards a rufous hue, and it is 
rendered darker by most of the long scattered hairs on that part being black. The belly is 
grayish, or clove-brown, and many of the long hairs there, and on the sides, are tipped with 
white. The nose is clothed with short hairs, nearly of the colour of the back; the lips are 
whitish, and there is a pretty large spot of pure white on the throat. The position of the 
mamme in the female is indicated by brown circular marks. The fur has no lustre on its 
surface, and little beauty; that on the back, when blown aside, exhibits a grayish-black 
shining colour, from the roots to the brownish tips. 
DIMENSIONS 
Of a full-grown specimen. 
Inches, _— Lines. Inches. Lines. 
Length of head and body : . 14 0 Dimensions of the scull of same specimen. 
op tail . . . - O G | Breadth of the scull, measured from the out- 
5, from the elbow to the wrist joint 2 0 side of one zygomatic arch to the outside of 
>» 9» the wrist joint to the end of the the other, posteriorly . - 2 4 
middle-claw 1 9 Length of the orbit . . hod 0 
>, of thumb ‘ 0 3 Width of ditto, posteriorly c 1 0 
"= middle toe - 0 6 | Smallest distance between the orbits, measured 
5 middle-claw : 0 -:. 6G across the frontal bone . . O 3 
5, from the knee-joint to the heel 2 2 Width of the palate . : 0 3 
5 5, heel to the tip of the middle Length of the nasal bones ral 1 
claw 9 Q . 2 0 | Greatest breadth of each nasal bone . 0 3 
», Of middle hind toe and claw 0 9 
