260 Transactions. — Zoology. 



afterwards reintroduced to New Zealand. The finding of this 

 rat in such an out-of-the-way place as Wimbledon would almost 

 be conclusive proof that the " kiore " of the Maoris was not 

 exterminated, but was only greatly reduced in numbers. 



I am firmly convinced that Dieffenbach found M. rattus in 

 great numbers in the north parts of New Zealand, as far 

 south as Lake Taupo, and Taranaki and Wanganui on the 

 west. But M. rattus was not known in the South Island 

 from Nelson through Canterbury to the Bluff in 1855-57, 

 and if now found at these places it has been recently intro- 

 duced. In the South Island M. decumanus, and not M. rattus, 

 would compete with or destroy M. maorium. But in the 

 north we are clearly told by Dieffenbach (1840) that the 

 Maoris informed him M. maorium was destroyed by " kiore 

 pakeha," the foreign rat, and that this rat was not the Norway 

 rat, but the English rat (M. rattus). 



Note. — M. rattus in country places lives in the forest or 

 field, and is not seen in the houses. 



I would direct your notice to the undoubted fact that neither 

 Dieffenbach nor Mr. J. B. Gray, of the British Museum, men- 

 tions that the Norway rat (M. decumanus) was found in New 

 Zealand about the year 1840 ; in proof of which Mr. Gray 

 heads the paragraph thus: "The Rat — Mus rattus, Linn.?" 

 but seems still to have doubts as to what rat is meant, for he 

 says, " It would be interesting to see [that is, himself to see] 

 whether it is the European, the Indian, or the New Holland 

 rat that has been introduced." By " European " M. rattus is 

 referred to, for you will also notice Dieffenbach in his descrip- 

 tion says, " which they [the natives] distinguish from the 

 English rat (not tbe Norway rat) which is introduced." And 

 further on this is varied thus: "owing to the extermination 

 carried on against it by the European rat " ; and a few lines 

 further on, "in the same manner as the English rat has ex- 

 terminated their indigenous rat": "(not the Norway rat)," 

 which is between brackets, but " the English rat, which is 

 introduced " — that is, the black rat (M. rattus). 



M. decumanus is not mentioned as introduced, but " The 

 Mouse — Mus musculus." "The common domestic mouse of 

 Europe has also been introduced." — Dieffenbach. The cat, pig, 

 horse, ass, sheep, and ox are next mentioned ; the dog having 

 previously been spoken of. 



This reading of the rat question has seemingly been over- 

 looked by our scientists, and, if it had not been for the heading, 

 " The Bat — Mus rattus," attracting my notice, I also should 

 possibly have passed it without comment. 



Since writing this paper I have found a portion of a rat's 

 skin which, from the dark under-fur, may have belonged t<5 a 

 "kiore," M. maorium : upper or back reddish-brown, sprinkled 



