1909.] 



R. E. Lloyd : The Races of Indian Rats. 



57 



The Madras bandicoot differs from B. nemorivaga in being 

 somewhat larger, in possessing sparse fur and a longer tail. In 

 the skull the nasal bones of B. nemorivaga are about 35 % of the 

 total length. In the skull of the Madras bandicoot this percentage 

 is about 40. 



Habits. — It was not possible during a short visit to become per- 

 sonally acquainted with the habits of these rats. Some interesting 

 information was obtained from others. It has been already pointed 

 out that the bandicoots must be very common in Madras city. 

 Dr. J. R. Henderson informed me that in certain streets of Madras, 

 in which the drainage system was partly of an open nature, bandi- 

 coots could often be seen running about the roads during the 

 still hours of the night. Dr. K. T. Matthews, Health Officer of 

 the Municipalit}', also showed me some interesting facts regarding 

 the habits of these rats. Most of the houses in Madras cit}^ contain 

 a central courtyard which is tiled and open to the sky. Waste 

 water from this 3'ard leaves by a closed drain which pierces the front 

 foundations of the house to enter the main drain of the street. 

 At night the bandicoots enter the houses by means of these drains ; 

 to prevent this the openings of the drains into the courtyard are 

 usually covered with iron gratings. Being checked by this device, 

 the bandicoots make burrows beneath the tiled floors of the court- 

 yards ; these are so large that they not infrequently fall in. These 

 collapsed burrows were seen in several of the houses. 



These few facts illustrate the extent to which the bandicoots 

 have established themselves among the drains of the city. 



Mds. 4, albino bandicoots — 



The Madras Museum received from the Municipal rat collecting 

 station two very large white rats which appeared to be albino speci- 

 mens of B. indica. 



