White. — On the Eats of Neio Zealand. 



255 



would seize each fly, not taking it with its mouth, but in its two 

 hands, like a man fielding a cricket-ball. It would then sit up 

 demurely, and, still holding the fly in its hands, would eat it 

 with great relish, and then sit patiently waiting for the arrival 

 of the next flv. Location, head-waters of Oreti Eiver, Otago, 

 in 1860-61. 



In the "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," 

 vol. xxiii., p. 201, I gave the following measurements: From 

 point of nose to top of head — M. maorium, l^in. ; M. decu- 

 manus and rattus, 2in. Hind leg of Maori rat — from hock to 

 end of toe, lin. ; of the other two species, TJin. These are 

 not measurements of the bone, but outside the hair. 



The tail of M. rattus is longer than its body, that of M. 

 decumanus is of shorter measurement than the body of tbe 

 animal. The former rat is much lighter in build and general 

 appearance than the other, and the Maori rat is considerably 

 the smallest of the three. 



P.S. — I have just received the following information from 

 a gentleman living near Dunedin : — 



" 10th September, 1894. — I have made inquiry about the 

 black rat, and find it is rather scarce now about the import- 

 sheds. When I was in the Universal Bond, as a clerk, 

 twenty-four years ago, they were plentiful in the bond, and 

 every few days one would be caught in the traps. Those 

 caught were smaller than the grey rat, and had long, rather 

 furry hair. Their muzzles were sharper and shorter than the 

 common rat, and altogether they were a superior-looking 

 creature to the usual rat. — A. E." 



This letter describing a black rat in Otago is a surprise to 

 me, for I never saw a black rat in the Wakatipu district 

 when living there. This will likely go to prove that a black 

 rat is found near the shipping of most New Zealand harbours. 

 Some years ago I found the dead body of one at the entrance 

 to Messrs. Murray, Eoberts, and Co.'s stores at Port Ahuriri, 

 Napier. 



