5C HAIK. [ISTROD. 



AJ to the partial nakedness of the skin of many animals 

 iMiin A.-., several suggestions have been made. It has been 

 variously supposed that the covering of hair has been gradually 

 lo.t l.\ 'Man, in correlation with the use of clothes: with the heat 

 the MIL. f..r ..rnaiii.-ntal purposes under sexual selection 1 ; or 

 ! rl.ap- a* a protection from parasites'. Various suggestions 

 h:i\.- also been made to explain the persistence of hair at the 

 jun.-ti..n of the limbs and mi the head and face. To a con- 

 Vidi-rati..!! f the origin of nakedness, the evidence of Variation in 

 ,.-asure contributes, and though the bearing is not very 

 dir. n. it may illustrate the futility of inquiries of this kind made 

 without n-gard to the facts of Variation. 



IfoUBB (J/"." miisculu*): male and pregnant female found in a 



..-k lit Taplow ; both were entirely naked, being without hairs 



.-pi ing only a few dark-coloured whiskers. The skin was 



tlir..\\n up into numerous prominent folds, transversely traversing the 



Imdy iii :tn undulating manner. This condition of the skin obtained 



f,, r "tilt-in tin- name of "Rhinoceros mice." The ears were dark or 



hla.-kish, ill- 1 'ail ash-coloured, and the eyes black, indicating that they 



we,,- i,.,t .-illiino-. The exfoliations from the skin were examined 



iiiicrosco pit-ally but no trace of hair-follicles was found, nor any 



ion "f di-ease. The animals were active and healthy. 



Tin- voting ones, when born, were similar to the parents. The 



h \\i-if normal. 



In tin- MU--UIM of the College of Surgeons is a precisely similar 

 s|ii-i-inii-n which was found in a house in London. GASKOIX, Proc. 

 /,<!. Soe . 1856, p. 38, /'/,>/,-. 



Tin---'- -p.-.-i ..... n-. of tin- i-ciiiiintin Mouse (Ma* ///./////*) were caught 

 in tin- town i if Kliiin. The whole bodies of these three creatures "were 

 .-..nipleti-lv naked as destitute of hair and as fair and smooth as a 

 rhild's t-hft-k. Then- was nothing peculiar about the snout, whiskers, 

 , l.iwcr half of tin- It-u's and tail, all of which had hair of the usual 

 length an. I ctilmir. They had eves a.- bright and dark as in the common 

 variety ..... At least twn others were killed in the same house where 

 th- f<>und." CoiMiov. <... Z",,/,//.s7, 1S.~>(), viii. p. 2763. 



>m.i\v (SoreX 'p.) "whole of upper surface of head and body 



itute of hair, and skin corruir.-ited like that of Naked Mice figured 

 in /'. X. S., 1856 : " sen! to I'.rit. Mus. by Mr P. Ciarner. GRAY, J. E., 

 Ann, and M : i. of \. //.. 1869, s. 4, iv. p. :5(10. 



In connexion with t . ihc fnllnwiii^ fact is interesting: 



//,.,/.. ,/./!,;/(/.< i- :i e.'iiiis nf liiiiTiiwin^ loilriit 1'ruiii S. Africa. It contains two 

 T \vliii-h mil' i- iilmiit the si/.e nf ii iimiise :inl the cither is rather larger. 



I ' ..... M teri/fil liy |n.--essiiie an a|i]Mi . nily hairless skin which is on the 

 I ami limly nf a wrinklnl iiml \varly nature. On elusrr in>]iection the skin is 

 . t.. lie fiiiiii-he.l with Inn -< ;i!iei. il liairs. luit there is no general appearance of 



a Imirv t-overing. Th. re i> no external ear in these animals. OLDFIKLD THOMAS, 



/'. /. 8., 1885, i' 846, Platt LIT. 



Iced honea lia\e often been exhibited. Such a horse caught in a 



-> 



1 ('. IIM.XMV. /), ... - nt ,,f M,I,I, i. p. 1 !_'. 



ilnnili-l i,, .\i.-,ini ; iii.i; see also Hi D80N, \.i turn list in La l'l<it, 1S!2. 



