164 
RICHARDSON’S MEADOW-MOUSE, 
in some other animals of the genus ; it is nearly as long on the crown and 
cheeks, but is shorter and thinner on the chest and belly. 
COLOUR. 
Incisors, yellow ; claws, white ; whiskers, black ; the whole dorsal 
aspect, including the shoulders and outsides of the thighs, is dull or dusky 
brown, proceeding from an intimate mixture of yellowish-brown and black, 
which colours are confined to the tips of the hairs and are so mingled as 
to produce a nearly uniform shade of colour without lustre. 
From the roots to near the tips, the fur has a uniform shining blackish- 
gray colour ; on the ventral aspect (lower parts) it is bluish-gray ; the 
margin of the upper lip, the chin, and the feet, are dull white ; tail, dark 
brown above, lighter beneath, the two colours meeting by an even line. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Length of head and body, - 
“ tail, - - - - 
HABITS. 
Drummond, who procured this Meadow-Mouse, states that its habits are 
analogous to those of the common water-rat of Europe ( Arvicola amphibius), 
with which it may be easily confounded, although the shortness of its tail 
may serve as a mark by which to distinguish it. 
It frequents moist meadows amongst the Rocky Mountains, and swims 
and dives well, taking to the water at once when pursued. All Meadow- 
Mice indeed are capital swimmers. We some time since amused ourselves 
watching one that had fallen into a circular cistern partly built up with 
stone and partly excavated out of the solid rock by blasting, and which was 
plastered with cement on the inside to make it water-tight. This cistern had 
about four feet of water in it. On one side there was a projecting rounded 
knob of stone some five or six inches long and about two wide, which slanted 
out of the water so that the upper edge of it was dry. Upon this little 
resting-place there was a large Arvicola Pennsylvanica (Wilson’s Meadow- 
Mouse) seated very quietly, having probably tumbled in the preceding 
night. When we approached the edge and looked down into the clear 
element we at first did not observe the Rat, but as soon as we espied him 
he saw us, immediately dived, and swam around underneath the surface • 
quite rapidly ; he ' soon arose, however, and regained his position on the 
- 7 inches. 
* 2 “ 
