74) WATER RAT. 



qiientliig rivers and stagnant waters/ and form- 

 ing its burrows in the banks. It is of a thicker 

 and shorter form than many others of this genus, 

 and has somewhat of the shape of a beaver. Mr. 

 Ray, following an error of Willoughly, describes 

 it as having the fore feet webbed ; and Linneeus, 

 in his Systema Naturae, characterizes it from that 

 very circumstance, but acknowledges that he had 

 not himself examined the animal. In reality, 

 however, there is no such appearance in the feet 

 of the Water Rat, and the notion seems to have 

 been hastily adopted from observing the facility 

 with which it swims and dives. The general 

 length of the Water Rat is about seven inches, 

 and the tail about five. Its colour is blackish 

 ferruginous above, and deep cinereous beneath : 

 the nose is thick and blunt; the eyes small; the 

 ears rounded and hid in the fur. In colour it 

 appears to vary in different regions, being some- 

 times nearly black, and sometimes paler than 

 usual. It also varies as to size, and the varieties 

 have been mistakenly considered as distinct spe- 

 cies. This animal never frequents houses, but 

 confines itself to the banks of waters, and is sup- 

 posed to live on fish, frogs, &c. and probably on 

 various roots and other vegetable substances. Dr. 

 Pallas, however, is unwilling to admit that it 

 preys at all upon fish, though reported so to do 

 by the Count de Buffbn and others. At some 

 seasons of the year it is observed to have a musky 

 scent. The female produces her young in April, 

 and generally brings about five or six at a time. 



