319 
SPERMOPHILUS L U D 0 V IC 1 A N U S .-Ord. 
Prairie Marmot-Sotirrel. — Wishtonwish. — Prairie Dog. 
PLATE XCIX. — 1. Male. 2. Female. 3. Young. — Natural Size. 
S. super cervinus pilis nigris interspersis ; subtus sordide albus, ungue 
pollicari conico majusculu, caudd brevi apicem versus fusco torquatS. 
CHARACTERS. 
Back, 7-eddish brown, mixed with grey and black ; belly, soiled white ; tail, 
short, banded with brown near the tip ; thumb-nail, rather large, and conical. 
STNONYMES 
Prairie Dog, Lewis and Qark’s Exp., 1st vol., p. 67. 
• Wishtonwish, Pike’s Expedition, &c., p. 156. 
Arctomvs Ludovicianus, Ord, in Guthrie, Geog., 2d, 302, 1815. 
Arctomys Missoubiknsis, Warden, Desor.des Etats Unis, vol. 5., p. 567. 
Abctomys Ludovicianus, Say, Long’s Exped., 1st vol., p. 451. 
Arct. Ludovicianus, Harlan, p. 160. 
“ “ Godman, vol. 2, p. 114. 
DESCRIPTION. 
This animal in its external form has more tne appearance of a mar- 
mot, than of a spermophile. It is short, thick, and clumsy, and is not 
possessed of the light, squirrel-like shape, which characterizes the sper7no- 
phili. In its small cheek-pouches, however, being three-fourths of an 
inch in depth, and in the structure of its teeth, it approaches nearer the 
spermophili, and we have accordingly arranged it under that genus. 
The head is broad and depressed ; nose short and blunt, hairy to Ihe 
nostrils. Incisors, large, protruding beyond the lips ; eyes, large ; ears, 
placed far backwards, short, and oblong, being a mere flap nearly 
covered by the short fur ; neck, short and thick ; legs, short and stout. 
This species is pendactylous ; the rudimental thumb on the fore-leet pro- 
tected by a sharp, conical nail ; nails, of medium size, scarcely channelled 
beneath, nearly straight, and sharp, extending beyond the hair ; tail, short 
