S21 
MUS MISSOURIENSIS Aud. and Bach. 
MrssouRi Mouse. 
PLATE C .—Females. — Natural Size. 
M. capite amplo, cruribus robustis, auriculis sub albidis, cauda curta, 
corpore supra dilute fusca, infra alba. 
CHARACTERS. 
Head, broad ; legs, stout ; ears, whitish ; tail, short, light fawn colour 
above, white beneath. 
SYNONYME. 
Mus Missouriensis, Aud. and Bach., Quads. North America, vol. 2, plates, 
pi. 100. 
DESCRIPTION. 
At first sight we might be tempted to regard this animal, as one of the 
endless varieties of the white-footed mouse. It is, however, a very dil- 
ferent species, and when examined in detail, it will be discovered that 
the colour is the only point of resemblance. The body is stouter, shorter, 
pnd has a more clumsy appearance. The nose is less pointed ; ears, much 
.shorter and more, rounded ; and the tail, not one-third of the length. 
Head, short and blunt ; nose, pointed ; eyes, large ; ears, short, broad at 
base and round, sparsely clothed with short hairs on both surfaces ; mous- 
taches, numerous, long, bending forwards and upwards ; legs, stout; four 
toes on the fore-feet, with the rudiment of a thumb, protected by a conspi- 
cuous nail ; nails, rather long, slightly bent, but not hooked. The hind-feet 
are pendactylous ; the palms are naked ; the other portions of the feet and 
toes, covered with short hairs, which do not, however, conceal the nails. 
The' tail is short, round, stout at base, gradually diminishing to a point ; 
it is densely covered with very short hair ; the fur on both surfaces is 
short, soft and fine. 
COLOUR. 
Teeth, yellowish ; whiskers, nearly all white, a few black hairs inter- 
spersed. The fur on the back is plumbeous at the roots to near the points. 
