337 
measured sixteen feet in length. It was brought to Port- 
Louis, and after being left exposed for some time to the 
inspection of the curious, was cut up and sold in the market. 
It is said to be no bad substitute for beef. 
“The Musk-shrew (Sorex ceruleus) probably found its way 
to these islands by the ships trading with India. This is the 
animal so much dreaded by our wine-bibbers in the East, 
who assert that if one of them happens to run over a bin of 
wine, the whole becomes instantly tainted, its odour being of 
so penetrating a nature as to make its way through the pores 
of the glass. This story, which appears to be swallowed 
with less reluctance than the musked wine, remains, however, 
still to be verified; the accounts being so various and so con- 
tradictory that nothing conclusive is known respecting the 
Manner in which the contamination is effected. After 
many inquiries on this subject, I never met with any person 
who would positively maintain that he had known an instance 
of wine bottled in Europe being tainted by the musk-rat. 
Should this prove true, it would be conclusive of the question, 
and remove the blame from the rats to the cork-venders, 
Who toss their bags into corners, where they lie exposed to 
the nocturnal visits of these stinking vermin. 
“The Tandrec (Erinaceus Madagascarensis) is considerably 
larger than the common Hedgehog, to which it bears a close 
resemblance in its figure. Its fur is of a light-brown colour, 
and is mixed with rigid bristles, of which those on the 
shoulders and back of the neck only are spinous. These 
animals feed on insects and fruit, and are seen everywhere 
m the wood, either solitary or in small flocks. Their sphere 
of vision seems to be particularly limited. à 
“The Hare abounds in both islands, and furnishes the 
Most usual article of game for the table. The islanders 
“ply themselves, with little trouble, by sending a few dogs 
mto the cover to chase out the hares, while the sportsman 
Watches near their usual track, and shoots them as they run 
In the eyes of our English sportsmen, this manner of 
iting poor puss seemed little short of sacrilege; so, with 
* view to introduce a more generous system of warfare, they 
VOL, Il, Zz 
