HAMSTER* 
man; the Glis Cricetus, of Klein; and the 
German Marmot of Pennant's Synopsis, but 
the, Hamster Rat of his subsequent History of 
Quadrupeds. 
The Male Hamster is described a3 about tea 
inches long, and his tail three; but the Female 
as scarcely evermore than half so. large: the 
former weighing, frequently, from twelve to 
sixteen ounces > and the latter, as.it is said,, 
seldom exceeding from four to six. This, in- 
deed, evidently makes them less than half ; 
and, at best, is not very consistent. The same 
may be observed with respect to the colour of 
the Hamster: which is generally described as 
of a reddish ash-colour; with a black beliv r 
and three white spots on the side. But M. De 
Waitz, Minister of State to the Landgrave of 
Hesse-Cassel, who sent two Hamsters alive 
to BurFon,. accompanied by an account of 
these animals, says that " the Hamsters are 
commonly brown on the back, and white on 
the belly." He adds — :< Some of them, how- 
ever, are grey ; and this difference may be the 
effect of advanced age. Some of them are 
also totally black. " 
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