| OCR Text |
Show 146 MAMMALIA. Buff. XIII, xiv. (The Common Hamster.) Larger than the Rat ; of a reddish-grey above, black on the flanks and underneath, with three whitish spots on each side. The fee~, a spot under the throat, and another under the breast wh1~e; some individuals are all black. This animal, .so agreeal~ly varted in colour, is one of the most noxious that extst, gatheri.ng large quantities of grain with which it fills ~ts burrow that 1~ s?metimes seven feet deep. It is common 1n all the sandy tegtons, that extend from the north of Germany to Siberia. This last country produces several small species of Hamsters described by Pallas. ( 1) ARVICOLA, Lacep. The Arvicolre like the Rats, have three grinders every where, but without roots e~ch one being formed of triangular prisms, placed on two alter~ate lines. They may be subdivided into several groups, viz. FIBER, Cuv. The Ondatras or Field Rats having semi-palmated hind feet, a long, scaly and compressed tail, of which one species only is well known. F. vulgaris; Castor zibeticus, L.; Mus zibeticus, Gm.; Buff. X, i. (The Canadian Musk-Rat or Ondatra.) As large as a Rabbit, of a reddish-grey. In winter they construct, on the ice., a hut of earth, in which several of them reside together, passmg through a hole in the bottom, for the roots of the acorus on which they feed. They neither dive nor swim well. It is this habit of building which has induced some authors to refer the Ondatra to the genus Castor. The second subdivision is that of ARviCOLA, Cuv.-HYPUDJEus, Illig. Our common Field Rats, which have a hairy tail, about the length of the body, and simple or not palmated feet. .fl. vulgaris; Mus amphibius, L.; Buff. VII, xliii. (The Water Rat.) A little larger than the Common Rat, of a deep greyish· brown; tail the length of the body. Inhabits the banks of rivers, &c. and burrows in marshy places • .11. terrestris; Mus terrestris, Lin. (The Schermaus.) Seems to differ from the Water Rat only in being somewhat smaller; its tail also is shorter. It lives under ground like the Mole, (1) M. accedula.-M. arenarius.-M. phaus.-M. songarus.-M. furunculUB· See Pall. Glir, and Sch. RODENTIA. 147 preferring the bottom lands of high grounds. It excavates galleries, and removes the earth to some distance from the opening. Its magazines, which are principally filled with the roots of the wild carrot cut into two inch pieces, are frequently two feet in diameter. .fl. arvalis; Mus arvalis, L.; Buff. VII, xlvii. (The Campag· nol.) Size of a Mouse; of a reddish-ash colour; tail not so long as the body. It inhabits holes which it excavates in the earth, where it collects grain for the winter. The multiplication of this animal is sometimes so excessive as to cause much injury. .fl. mconomicus, Mus mconomicus, Pall. Glir. XIV, A; Schreb. cxc. (The Meadow Campagnol.) A little darker coloured, and the tail somewhat shorter. It lives in a sort of oven-shaped chamber formed under the turf, from which issue several narrow and ramifying canals running in various directions; other canals communicate with a second cavity which contains its provisions. From all Siberia. It is thought to have been found in Switzerland and in the south of France, particularly, as we are assured, in the potatoe fields.(I) See IJ.ppend. X of .B.m. Ed. GEoRYCHus, Illig. Or the Lemmings, Cuv. have very short ears and tail, and the toes of the fore feet peculiarly well formed for digging. The two first species have five very distinct nails to each of the fore f~et, like the Rat-Moles and the Jumping-Hare. G. lemmus ; Mus lemmus, L.; Pall. Glir. XII, A. B. Schreb. cxcv. (The Lemming.) A northern species, as large as a Rat, with black and yellow fur, very celebrated for its occasional migrations in innumerable bodies. At these periods they are said to march in a straight line, regardless of rivers or moun· tains; and while no obstacle can impede their progress, they devastate the country through which they pass. Their usual residence appears to be the shores of the Arctic ocean • G. vulgaris; Mus aspalax, Gm., Pall. Glir. X, Schreb. CCV. (The Zocor.) Reddish-grey; the three middle nails of the fore feet long, arcuate, compressed and trenchant, for cutting earth (1) Here most probably would come the M. S(J$atilis, alliarus, rutilus, gregalis and socialis, Pall. (.jJ.ir. But the M. lagurus and torquatus come nearer to the Lemmings. There are several Field-Rats or Campagnols in North Americ&, such as .the .B.rvicola xanthognatha~ Leach, Miscel. I, pl. xxvi.-.ll.rvicola pennsylvanica, \Vllson, Amer. Ornith. VI, pl. I, F. 3.-.ll.rv. palustris, Harl. &c. Uetter figures and new and comparative descriptions of the preceding species are much wanted. |
