:(>s PROECHINOMYS. CAPROMYIN^E. 



24; interorbital constriction, 13.2; greatest breadth on ridges, 23.6; 

 length of upper molar series, 8.9. 



406. burrus (Proechimys!), Bangs, Am. Nat., xxxv, 1901, p. 640. 

 SAN MIGUEL SPINY RAT. 



Type locality. San Miguel Island, Bay of Panama. 



Genl. Char. Similar to P. c. panamcnsis, but larger and more 

 red; nasals long, broad, and truncate posteriorly. 



Color. Upper parts deep ferrugineous, varied with brownish 

 black; top of nose, cheeks, and lower sides more yellowish; anal 

 regions like back; rest of under parts pure white; tail above black, 

 beneath grayish; hands and feet dusky brown; ears dusky, nearly 

 naked. 



Measurements. Total length, 410-490; tail vertebrae, 140-205; 

 hind foot, 50-60; ear from notch, 20-22. Skull: basal length, 52; 

 occipito-nasal length, 61.2; zygomatic width, 29; mastoid width, 

 22.2; interorbital constriction, 13.4; length of nasals, 24.2; width of 

 nasals, 7.6; length of palate to palatal notch, 21; end of pterygoid, 

 34; length of palatal foramina, 5.2; width of palatal foramina, 3; 

 upper tooth row, 9.8; length of single half of mandible, 33.8; lower 

 tooth row, 10.2. 



The subfamily CAPROMYIN^; comprises large arboreal rats, which 

 are found only in some of the West India islands, the Bahamas, and 

 certain of the islands in the Gulf of Mexico. They have compara- 

 tively short tails; in some species this member is very short, and 

 one has a prehensile tail. All these are naked and scaly, only a 

 few scattering hairs being observable. The food of these animals 

 consists of leaves, twigs, and bark; and in one island at least, the 

 most eastern of the Plana Keys, Mr. Ingraham observed the species 

 that bears his name, associating together in considerable numbers. 

 Not much is known of the habits of these singular creatures, but 

 as their size makes them rather conspicuous and they are prac- 

 tically defenseless, while their flesh is said to be palatable, it is 

 probable they will, ere long, become extinct in the limited localities 

 in which they are now found. Indeed, the species inhabiting Jamaica 

 is stated to be practically extinct already. When on the ground 

 they greatly resemble the muskrat in their shape and movements. 



Subfam. II. Capromyinee. 



F. M. Chapman. A Revision of the genus Capromys. Bull. Am. 

 Mus. Nat. Hist., 1901, p. 313. 



