RICHARDSON’S MEADOW-MOUSE. 
165 
ledge, and we determined to save him from what had been his impending 
fate — drowning or starving, or both. W e procured a plank, and gently 
lowering one end of it towards the ledge, thought he would take advantage 
of the inclined plane thus afforded him, to come out ; but in our awkward- 
ness we suffered the plank to slip, and at the plash in the water the little 
fellow dived and swam around several times before he again returned to 
his resting place, where we now had the end of the board fixed, so that he 
could get upon it. As soon as he was on it, we began to raise the plank, 
but when we had him about three feet above the surface he dashed off into 
the water, making as pretty a dive as need be. He always looked quite 
dry, and not a hair of his coat was soiled or turned during these frequent 
immersions, and it was quite interesting to see the inquisitive looks he cast 
towards us, turning his head and appearing to have strong doubts whether 
we meant to help, or to make an end of him. We put down the plank 
again, and after two attempts, in both of which his timidity induced him 
to jump off it when he was nearly at the edge of the cistern, he at 
last reached the top, and in a moment disappeared amid the weeds and 
grasses around. 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
The only information we possess of the habitat of this animal is from 
Drummond, who states that he captured it near the foot of the Rocky 
Mountains. 
general remarks. 
This species possesses longer and stronger incisors than any other 
American Rat of this genus ; its mouth presenting in fact a miniature 
resemblance to that of the musk-rat. 
Although the Arvicola xanthognatha is a larger animal than the present, 
yet its incisors are not more than half as long as in this species. 
We have named this Arvicola in honour of Sir John Richardson, who 
in describing it (Fauna Boreali Americana, p. 120), applied to it, with a 
doubt, the name of Arvicola riparius, Ord, from which it differs so much as 
to render a comparison here unnecessary. 
