104 



SONGAR RAT. 



Mus Songarus. M, buccis saccuti/em, dorso cinereo, tinea spinali 

 nigra, laterihus alho fuscoque mriis, 'ventre albo. Lin, Syst. 

 Nat. Gmel p, 138. Pall, Glir, p. 261. 



Cinereous pouched Rat, white beneath, with black spinal line 

 and the sides patched with white. 



Songar Rat. Pennant Quadr, 2, p. 212, 



The Songar Rat is a native of Siberia, where, 

 like others of this tribe, it forms its burrows in 

 dry sandy places. Its length is about three inches, 

 and its tail scarce more than a quarter of an inch. 

 It is an animal of a thick shape, with a large 

 head, blunt nose, small eyes, and large oval ears, 

 which are but very slightly covered with hair. 

 Its colour on the upper parts is pale grey, with 

 a black dorsal line, and the sides marked with 

 some large white spots or patches which are con- 

 fluent in some parts, and in others bounded with 

 brown : the under parts and legs are white. This 

 elegant species appears to have been first disco- 

 vered by Dr. Pallas, who observes, that it makes 

 a nearer approach to the Hamster in its form, and 

 in the disposition of its colours, than the rest of this 

 tribe : Dr. Pallas, in one of the nests, which was 

 formed of dried herbs, found seven young, which 

 were still blind : these he preserved, and they soon 

 grew perfectly tame, and would feed from his 

 hand, lap milk, and, when placed on a table, 

 shewed no desire to escape : they were kept in a 

 box, with sand, in which they delighted to bur- 

 row. They frequently eat in a sitting posture. 



