54 



Records of the Indian Museum. 



[Vol. Ill, 



Puri {Orissa). 



Dr. N. Annandale obtained two specimens of Mus rattus from 

 the neighbourhood of Puri. Both are of the white-beUied type. In 

 one of them, an immature specimen, the colour of the belly is pure 

 white, in the other, an adult of normal size and proportions, the 

 belly is light lemon-yellow ; it resembles very closely the rats from 

 Travancore. 



Madras. 



Madras City. 



The rats of Madras city were examined by the writer during 

 February of this year, when about 700 were Vjrought in daily from 

 different parts of the cit}^ The different species were separated 

 and their numbers counted on two occasions. The results were as 

 follows : — 



Besides these, other species were occasionally obtained. In 

 four days one specimen of Mus mettada, three of Vandaleuria olera- 

 cea, one Gunomys sp. and two Gerhillus cuvieri were brought to the 

 collecting station ; these were most probabl}^ from the fields. 

 Further counts were not made, as the numbers did not var}- much 

 from day to day. 



These numbers cannot accurateh- represent the numerical pro- 

 portions of the species actually present in the cit)^ Probably 

 the bandicoots are present in much larger numbers than they appear, 

 for they must be more difficult to capture than the others. Ex- 

 amples of Mus rattus were frequently brought, two or three in one 

 trap. The bandicoots were never trapped owing to their size. 

 Almost all of these large rats were killed singl}' by blows from 

 sticks. That this was the means by which they were obtained, 

 was known not only from the assertions of the rat-catchers but 

 also from the condition in which the dead bandicoots were obtained. 

 Among large numbers examined it was difficult to find specimens 

 the skulls of which were in an unbroken condition ; this difficult}' 

 was never felt in^the case of other species. That it was possible to 

 obtain nearly 100 bandicoots daily by such a method, shows that 

 this formidable rat must be very plentiful in Madras. 



