434 Bibliographical Notices, 



first tearing off their claws or nippers ; and being thus disabled from 

 doing harm, the crab dog or racoon uses its sharp teeth to break the 

 shell. In their native state they sleep by day, and issue at dusk in 

 search of food ; birds, insects, roots, and vegetables, nothing comes 

 amiss ; and as they possess a particular fondness for sweets, I have 

 been told by practical planters that the injury which they do to sugar 

 plantations is very considerable. 



They take their food with both paws like the squirrel, and are 

 fond of dipping it in water. I have noted with astonishment that 

 they drink as well by lapping like the dog as by sucking. I have 

 had several in a domesticated state, all of which possessed this pe- 

 culiarity. 



They are very active ; their sharp claws enable them to climb trees 

 with great agility, and to leap with security from branch to branch. 

 When on the ground they move forward by bounding, and in an ob- 

 lique direction ; nevertheless they are swift enough, and rarely fall a 

 prey to their pursuers. 



They are easily domesticated when taken young, and are then 

 harmless and amusing, but our endeavours to accustom two adults 

 which we had secured to a domesticated state proved entirely vain. 

 We were obliged to keep them chained ; they refused apparently to 

 eat or drink, and died the first two weeks after we had entrapped 

 them. 



I have been told of a second species, but neither Mr. Vieth nor 

 myself have ever met with it, nor have I been able to ascertain in 

 what its distinguishing characters consist. 



[To be continued.] 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Etudes de Micromammalogie. Revue des Musaraignes, des Rats et des 

 Campagnols, suivie d'un Index methodique des Mammiferes d' Europe, 

 Par Edm. De Selys-Longchamps, Membre de plusieurs Societes 

 savantes. Paris, 1839. 8vo. pp. 165. pis. 3. 



We deem it very desirable that this little work should be brought 

 under the notice of our readers, as well on account of its intrinsic 

 merits, as on that of its relating to certain groups which have re- 

 cently attracted much attention in this country. It is also one of 

 that class of books written exclusively for the benefit of the working 

 naturalists, which of all others, in our opinion, tend most to the ad- 



