66 



WANDERING MOUSE 



Mus Vagus. M, cauda longissima nudiuscula, corpare cinereo, 

 fascia dorsali nigra, auribus plicatis. Lin* Si/st. Nat. Gmel, 

 p. 136, 



Cinereous Mouse, with black dorsal band, very long naked tail, 

 and plaited ears. 



This^ which was discovered by Dr. Pallas^ is 

 frequent throughout the whole Tartarian desert, 

 and is of a migrating nature. It is a small spe- 

 cies, scarce exceeding the Mus minutiis in size, 

 and measuring little more than two inches anS a 

 half from nose to tail, and the tail three inches. 

 It is of a pale ash-colour above, slightly mixed 

 or undulated with black, and marked with a black 

 dorsal line : the ends of the limbs are whitish. 

 This species wanders about in great multitudes, 

 migrating from place to place chiefly by night. 

 It is of a very tender or delicate nature, and even 

 during the nights of June is often found rolled 

 up, as if falling into a state of torpidity. It is 

 said to inhabit chiefly the fissures of rocks, the 

 cavities under large stones, or hollow trees. 



