M U S. 
215 
on the hind-feet are five toes. Sometimes the hamfter 
varies in colour, being found either black with a white 
muzzle, or of a pale yellowilh white. The male is always 
much larger than the female. On each fide the lower part 
of the back is an almoft bare lpot, covered only with very 
Ihoft down. 
The common hamfter inhabits Siberia and the fouth of 
Jluflia. It is alfo found in Poland, as well as in many 
parts of Germany. They are very deftruftive in fome 
diftridts,"devouring great quantities of grain, which they 
carry off in their cheek-pouches, and depofit in their 
holes in order to eat during the autumn. The habita¬ 
tions which they dig, to the depth of three or four feet, 
confift of more or fewer apartments, according to the age 
of the animal : a young hamfter makes them hardly a foot 
deep ; an old one finks them to the depth of four or five 
feet; and the whole diameter of the refidence, taking in 
all its habitations, is fometimes eight or ten feet. The 
principal chamber is lined with dried grafs, and ferves for 
a lodging ; the others are deftined for the prefervation of 
provifions, of which he amaffes a great quantity during 
the autumn. Each hole lias two apertures ; the one de- 
fcending obliquely, and the other in a perpendicular di- 
redtion, and it is through this latter that the animal goes 
in and out. The holes of the females, who never refide 
with the males, are fome what different in their arrange¬ 
ment, and have more numerous pafi'ages. The female 
breeds two or three times a-year, producing five or fix, 
and fometimes as many as iixteen or eighteen. The 
growth of the young is rapid, and they are foon able to 
provide for themtelves. 
The hamfter feeds on all kinds of herbs and roots, as 
well as on grain, and even occafionaily on the fmaller ani¬ 
mals. “ In harveft-time (fays Mr. Allamand) he makes 
liis excurfions for provifion, and carries every article he 
can find into his granary. To facilitate the tranfportation 
of his food. Nature has provided him with two pouches 
in the infide of each cheek. On the outfide thefe pouches 
are membranous, fmooth, and ftiining; and in the infide 
are a great many glands, which continually fecrete a cer¬ 
tain fluid, to preferve their flexibility, and to enable them 
to refill any accidents which may be occafioned by the 
roughnefs or Iharpnefs of particular grains.” On the ap¬ 
proach of winter the hamfter retires into his fubterrane- 
ous abode, the entry of which he fnuts up with great care ; 
and, thus remaining in a ftate of tranquillity, feeds on his 
colledled provifion till the froft becomes fevere; at which 
period befalls into a profound Humber, which grows into 
a confirmed torpidity, fo that the animal continues rolled 
up, with all its limbs inflexible, its body perfectly cold, 
and without the leaft appearance of life. In this ftate it 
may even be opened ; when the heart is feen alternately 
contracting and dilating, but with a motion lo flow as to 
be fcarcely perceptible, not exceeding fifteen pullations in 
a minute, though in the waking ftate of the animal it 
beats a hundred and fifty pulfations in the fame time. It 
is added, that the fat of the creature has the appearance 
of being coagulated, that its inteftines do not exhibit the 
fmalleft fymptoms of irritability on the application of 
the ftrongeft ftimulants, and the eledlric Ihock may be 
palled through it without effect. This lethargy of the 
hamfter has been generally afcribed to the effedt of cold 
alone; but late obiervations have proved, that, unlefs at a 
certain depth beneath the furface, fo as to be beyond the 
accefs of the external air, the animal does not fall into its 
ftate of torpidity,.and that the lev ere ft cold on the furface 
does not affedlit. On the contrary, when dug up out of 
its burrow,,and expofed to the air, it infallibly awakes in 
a few hours. Under other circumftances, the waking of 
the hamfter is a gradual operation : he firll lofes the ri¬ 
gidity of his limbs, then makes profound infpirntions, at 
long intervals-; after this he begins to move his limbs, 
Opens bis mouth, and utters a fort of unpleafant rattling 
found. After continuing thefe operations for fome time, 
ke at length opens Ids eyes, and endeavours to'rife, but 
Vox-. XVI. No. He'S. 
reels about at firft, as if in a ftate of intoxication ; till 
at length, after refting a final] fpace, he perfectly recovers 
his ufual powers. This tranfition from torpidity to adtivity 
requires more or Iefs time, according to the temperature 
of the air, and other circumftances. When expofed to a 
cold air he is fometimes two hours in waking ; but in a 
warmer air the change is'effedted in half the time. 
The manners of the hamfter are generally reprefented 
as far from pleafing. No fociety appears to exile among 
thefe animals. They are naturally very fierce, and make 
a defperate defence when attacked ; they alfo purfue and 
deftroy every animal which they are capable of conquer¬ 
ing, not excepting even the weaker individuals of their 
own fpecies. 1 hey are laid to be particularly fond of the 
feeds of liquorice, and to abound in the diftricts-where 
that plant is cultivated. According to Mr. Sultzer, they 
abound to fuch a degree at Gotha, that in one year 11,564, 
in another 54,47.9, and in a third 80,139, of their Ikins 
were delivered in the Hotel de Ville of that capital, where 
the hamfter is proferibed on account of the devaftations it 
commits among the corn. In winter the peafants go what 
they call a hamlter-nefting ; and, when they difeover their 
retreat, dig down till they find the hoard, and are com¬ 
monly well paid; for, befides the Ikins of the animals, 
which are valuable furs, they frequently find two bufliels 
of good grain in the magazine. 
43. Mus arenarius, thefand-rat: body cinereous; feet, 
fides of the body, abdomen, and tail, white. The fand-rat 
is about four inches in length, with a tail about one inch 
or rather more: the head is longifh, and the fnout lhaivp ; 
the cheek-pouches large, the ears large and oval, and the 
eyes rather fmall. It is an inhabitant of the Tandy plains 
of Baraba, near the river Irtilh, in Siberia, where it forms 
deep burrows, at the bottom of which is aneftcompofed 
of the lea-lyme-grafs and other plants. It is faid to be 
chiefly a no&urnal animal, and of a fierce untameable dif- 
polition. 
44. Mus phasus, the Aftracan moufe, or Zarizyn rat: 
afh-brown above, white beneath. This fpecies meafures 
about three inches and a half in length, exclufive of the 
tail, which is about three quarters of an inch long: the 
forehead is elevated ; the edges of the eyelids black; the 
ears naked and oval. The colour of the animal on the 
upper parts is pale cinereous or hoary, with a dulky ftreak 
along the back : the fides are whitiih; and the circum¬ 
ference of the mouth, under fide of the body, and the ex¬ 
tremities of the limbs, milk-white. It is an inhabitant of 
the defert of Aftracan, and particularly about Zarizyn, 
where it is occafionaily taken in the winter-feafon in places 
about (tables and out-houfes. It is alfo common among 
the Hyrcanian mountains, and about the Perfian villages, 
where it commits great ravages among the rice. It does 
not grow torpid during winter, as is proved by the fto- 
machs of fuch as are taken in that ieafbn being found 
full of food. This and the preceding feem to have been 
firft diftindtly deferibed by Dr. Pallas. 
45. Mus fongarus, the fongar-rat : cinereous above, 
white beneath ; with black fpinal line, and the fides 
patched with white. This is a native of Siberia, where, 
like others of this tribe, it forms its burrows in dry fandy 
places. Its length is about three inches, and its tail 
Icarcely more than a quarter of an inch. It is an animal 
of a thick lhape, with a large head, blunt nole, fmall eyes, 
and large oval Cars, which are but very flightly covered 
with hair. Its colour on the upper parts is paie grey, 
with a black dorlal line, and the fides marked with fome 
large white fpOts'or patches, which are confluent in fome 
parts, and in others bounded with brown : the under 
parts and legs are white. This elegant fpecies appears to 
have been firft difcovered by Dr. Pallas, who obferves, 
that it makes a nearer approach to the hamfter in its form, 
and in the difpofition of its colours, than the reft of this 
tribe; Dr. Pallas, in one of the nefts, which was formed 
of dried herbs, found feven young, which wercitill blind: 
thefe he preferred, and they loon grew, perfectly tame," and 
