108 



BLIND RAT. 



Mus Typhlus. M, ecaudatus, palmis pentadacit/lis, incisoribus 

 supra infraque latis, oculis auriculisque nuUis. Lin. Si/st, Nat, 

 Gmel. p. 141. Pall. Glir. p. 76. 



Short-tailed rufous-brown Rat, dusky beneath, with pentadac- 

 tyle fore-feet, broad front-teeth, and without eyes or exter- 

 nal ears. 



Spalax major. Erxl. mamm, p. 337. 

 Blind Rat, Pennant Quadr. 2. p. 2i4- 



Next to the sand rat, above described, this is 

 perhaps the largest and most remarkable of its 

 tribe ; measuring between seven and eight inches 

 in length, and being entirely destitute both of 

 eyes and tail : the defect of the former is a very 

 singular circumstance, and the animal perhaps 

 affords the only instance of a truly blind or eye- 

 less quadruped. In the mole, the eyes, however 

 small and deeply seated, are yet perfect in their 

 kind, and though not calculated for acute vision, 

 still enable the animal to avoid the danger of ex- 

 posure ; but in the quadruped now under consi- 

 deration, there are merely a pair of subcutaneous 

 rudiments of eyes, smaller than poppy-seeds, and 

 covered with a real skin. It is probable, how- 

 ever, that even these minute organs are sufficient 

 to give an obscure perception of light, and to 

 enable the animal to consult its safety by gene- 

 rally continuing beneath the surface. The exter- 

 nal ears are also wanting, and the foramina lead- 

 ing to the internal organs are very small, entirely 

 hid by the fur, and situated at a great distance 



