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Show liE VOYAGE OF TilE BEAGLE. ZOOLOGY OF T 'bl . Mus decumanus, and I think may posst y 34 This rat is very closely alhed to . l Havino- but one skin, and no l l riety of that amma . b . l b b prove an extraordinary ~ca va lf this point. Its size, as W1l ~ seen y k ll I am unable to sattsfy myse on h mon rat or rather, 1t exceeds s u ' d that of t e com ' ' 1 the admeasurements, excec s . 1 f . I have seen sorne which were equa ordinary specimens of that amma ' or to it. ~ d llere it frequented holes in the sand " It was lu'1 1 ed near Mald. ona . o, r w d the island of G un. tt t' . If s hips hillocks near the s h ore. It 1·....,, hkewtse 1oun tos n the above-ment·w ne d 1o cal 't' t Ies are ever infested wi. t1 tl . monstrous ra ' A ld l lese . d olonies by such means. n o are very likely p l aces to have receive c ·t ·s The ears of th1.s rat, wl 1 e n < and three quai er . k f male weighed :fifteen ounces . in ·ular contrast with the blac ut· alive, were of a pale colour, which made a s g of its body."-D. 3. Mus JAcomJE. . f t1 Mammalia. preserved m. t 1l C M uscum of the Zoolo<,.r, ica1 ]\'[us dccumano'idcs, • lVate,·lt. m " Catalogue o lC ' Society of Loudon." . . . . da or- ' lbus . ednm pilis sordule allns ' cau t c M. supdl fuscus, griseo-lavatus, subt~s a l·. p .. b . pilis perlon(J'is in dm·so aebre pore cum capite pat~lo .longiore; aunbus mec WC1 z us . n inter cmteros comnux tzs. . f the up er parts o f t l ll·S rat ' 1·s grayish-br.o w. n, DESCRIPTION.- The general tmt o IK pd ) . the longest hairs, winch (very nearly resembling that of 1hus ecurn~nusl , d half in len o-th, arc . f tl back are one me 1 an a b on the hinder portwn o le h · then on each hair, black i the ordinary hairs arc black at the alpex, i edrethls rem~ininrr or basal a considerable space occupt.e d b Y pal e yel .o w ' an . the hairs ofo •t he chin, portion, is grayish white i the under .fur l~ g:~l· wit~out any gray colour throat, and under parts of the body, are. wlnte, . h l . . . the tail which is at the roots: the feet are covered with d n·ty grayts tans.' b th ~bove and slender, is very span.n gly f unu·s h ed W·l u1 minute b.l ackfl. hahn s, 1 0 and to the beneath: the ears are of mo d era t e S·i,z e, o. f a browmsh es co our, ' L 1 . f the moustaches are naked eye appear to be destitute of hmr. The laHs 0 most of th~m black at the base, and grayish at the apex. .. The MS. name of M. decumano'ides, w1n. eh I .hal.l apph. cd to thi s animadl , .h ast l beemn ucs1emuumg eoJf, tihn e cIonndsm:- qucnec of my having seon a different spee1·0 s, w1· th t 1t e same n amo 'a ttache ' m 10 House. Length from nose to root of tail of tail of tarsus . MAMMALIA. In. Lines. 7 6 Length of car 7 6 from nose to car . 4t Habitat, James Island, Galapagos Archipelago, Pacific Ocean, (October.) 35 In. Lines. 0 7k H This species is scarcely equal in size to a full grown common black rat, (Mus Rattus), the head is rather shorter in proportion, the tarsi are smaller, and the tail is longer. J n the character of the fur, and length of the hairs, it ve1y closely resembles that species : the ears are larger than in M. decumanus, and about equal to those of JJI. Rattus. In having the hairs of the under parts of the body of an uniform colour, (i. e. not gray at the base,) it resembles the Mus Tectorum of Savi ; but the large size of that animal, the greater length of the fur, and its colouring, all serve to distinguish it from the present species, which I may here observe, is truly an old world form, and very distinct from another species, also from the Galapagos, which is hereafter described. " It is very common in James Island, but is not found on all the islands, if on any other in the Archipelago. Although its appearance is so like that of the common rat, yet its habits appear to be ruther different: it is less carnivorous, and does not appear to be so strongly attached to the habitations of man. This island was fr equented, about one hundred aud fifty years since, by the vessels belonging to the Bucaniers; so that the common rat might easily have been transported here. And if a very peculiar climate, a volcanic soil, and stmnge food, can together produce a race, or strongly marked variety, there is every probability of such change having taken place in this case. "-D. 4. l\1us (RATTUS vm·. ?) INSULARIS. JJf. sup1·a grisescenti, colore subtus dilttliore; tanis pu11JW'eo-nigris: caudd corpus cum capite mquaute: au1·ibus mediocribus: vellere rnolli. DEsCRIPTION.-No. 1. The general colour of this animal is what might be termed black, there is, howevc1·, an obscure purple-brown hue on the upper parts of the body, and the sides and under parts have a grayish tint, the hairs covcdng the feet above are of an uniform deep purple-brown, almost black. All the hairs of the body are gray at the base: the hairs of the moust~ches. ar~ long and numerous, and of a black colour, having one or two wh1te hall'S mtet·mixed : the ears are of moderate size, and very sparingly furnished with F 2 |