67 
ARVICOLA XANTHOGNATH A.— Leach. 
Yellow-cheeked Meadow-Mouse. 
PLATE C XV. —Adult and Young. 
A. Supra saturate fusca, subtus argenteo-cinereus, oculis circulo pallide 
luteo cinctis, genis flavis. 
CHAEACTEES. 
Bark brown on the back ; under parts , silvery grey j pale orange around t/ie 
eyes J cheeks, yellow. 
SYNONYMES. 
Arvicola Xanthognatha. Leach, Zool. Miss., vol. i. p. 60, t. 26. 
“ * “ Harlan, Fauna, p. 136. 
“ “ Godman, Nat. Hist., vol. ii. p. 65. 
Campagnol aux joues eauves. Desm., Mamm., p. 282. 
Arvicola Xanthognathus. Rich., Fauna Boreali Americana, p. 122. 
DESCEIPTION. 
Of the upper molars, the posterior one is the largest, and it has three 
grooves on its side ; the two anterior have two grooves each, making in 
all ten ridges in the upper molar teeth on each side ; of the lower molars, 
the anterior is the largest, and it has four grooves ; the other two have 
each two. 
Body, nearly cylindrical ; legs, short ; nose, obtuse ; the lip is on a line 
with the incisors ; ears, large, rounded, and hairy on both surfaces ; whis- 
kers, about the length of the head ; tail, shorter than the head, well covered 
with hairs lying smoothly and coming to a point at the extremity ; legs, 
rather stout, covered with short hair lying closely and smoothly ; fore feet 
with naked palms ; fore toes with a callosity protected by a very minute 
nail in place of a thumb ; the first a little shorter than the third, second 
largest, and fourth shortest. 
The toes are well covered with smooth hair above, and are naked below ; 
the hair of the wrist projects a little over the palms ; claws, small ; hind 
feet with five toes, of which the three middle ones are nearly equal in 
