41^ Mr. Bennett on the Mus Barharus. 



Of the existence of such an animal ample confirmation is afforded 

 by the three individuals of the Zoological Society's collection, which 

 differ in no respect, except in size, from the description given by Lin- 

 naeus of his Mus Barbarus. In size they are intermediate between the 

 Domestic Mouse and the Black Rat. Their ground colour is fuscous- 

 brown above, intermingled vidth a few yellow hairs, and they are 

 marked on each side with five or six continuous longitudinal yellowish 

 lines, narrower than their intervening spaces, and blending gradually 

 with the under surface, which is pale, and between the fore-legs nearly 

 pure white. Their ears are moderately large, rounded, and covered 

 with hairs so short as to cause them to appear nearly naked. The ante- 

 rior feet are furnished with five toes, the outer and innei of which are 

 merely rudimentary, so that three only are remarkable, and of these 

 the two inner are the longest. The hinder feet are also five-toed, but 

 might almost with equal correctness as the anterior be described as tri- 

 dactyle * the middle three toes being very long, the inner one rudimen- 

 tary, and the outer so short as not to reach the base of the adjoining one. 



An earlier notice of these animals would have been given, had it not 

 appeared desireable that the information respecting them should be ren- 

 dered more complete than it was possible to make it from the examina- 

 tion of living specimens alone. The opportunity of minutely observing 

 the teeth has lately been afforded by the death of one of the individuals, 

 and from these it is evident that the species has been rightly referred to 

 the genus Mus. Its molars are rooted, tubercular, and three on each 

 side in either jaw. In the lower jaw the first molar has its crown 

 elongated, nearly equal to the united length of the succeeding two; 

 increasing somewhat in breadth towards its hinder part ; divided trans- 

 versely into three portions, the anterior of which is smaller than the 

 others ; and grooved along its middle from before backwards, so as to form 

 six slightly elevated tubercles, of which the outer and anterior is smaller 

 than the others : the crown of the second molar is square, divided into 

 two equal portions, and grooved along its middle so as to form four 

 tubercles: the crown of the third is triangular with the apex directed 

 backwards, and is composed of two portions, the anterior of which is 

 grooved and divided into two tubercles, while the posterior is undivided. 

 In the upper jaw, the molars correspond in number, proportion, and 

 shape with those of the lower. The crowns are also flattened, and have 



