39 



beg to record their characters in the ' Proceedings ' of this Society, 

 They were sliown at the meetings of this and the Linnean Societies. 

 and to many other naturalists ; and fiually, were exhibited during 

 four months m the small-qnadruped house in the gardens of the 

 Society, with the view of eUciting information respecting them, as to 

 any siniilar conformation in the species or genus having before been 

 observed ; and expressions of surprise at their novelty of form were 

 in every instance the only remarks obtained. At the period named of 

 their exhibition all had died (threeof them are nowshown in spirit). 

 Unfortunately they did not breed, although three of them were born, 

 iu captivity. 



In size these animals somevvhat exceeded the common mouse, 

 measuring from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail 4Y^o^ths 

 inches ; they were totally destitute of hairs, excepting some two or 

 three dark-colouredlabiaihairs, orwhiskers; the external integument 

 pinkish white, and formed into coarse promiueat pUcse, or dupUca- 

 tures of itself, transversely traversing the body in an undulated shape, 

 and increasing in width and projection as they descended from the 

 dorsum to the most depending Une on either side of the thorax and 

 abdomen, and there forming pendulous flaps, extending from the arm 

 of the fore to the thighs of the hind legs ; so that all the legs being 

 stretched asunder, as when on the wires of the cage, these flaps 

 became expanded in the manner of the flying squirrel. The plicae 

 or dupUcations of the skin were on the sides of the body in a degree 

 symmetrical ; and on the face and head, particularly so, as will be 

 observed in the plate, which represents the old malė animal, very 

 faithfuUy delineated by "Wolf, to elucidate this paper ; the ears of a 

 dark or blackish eolour, the tail ash-coloured, and the eyes black, 

 indicating they were not albinos of the species. It was curious to 

 observe the quickness and dexterity with which their little paws 

 opened along the furrows formed by the phcse or folds, to clean 

 between them. So dissimilar, it vvill be observed, from the cha- 

 racters given, is the external formatiou of these animals from that 

 of the domestic mouse, that opinions were risked as to their con- 

 stituting a different spežes, but on investigating the teeth of the 

 first one that died, and they proviug identical, it was inferred they 

 are a lusus naturcB of that species ; — if such, however, be the fact, 

 I believe this will prove the first instance on record in which the 

 whole litter or brood of animals or birds, hare all been in exactly 

 the šame statė of abnormal condition, and that condition becomiug 

 permanent, and eontinued through successive generations ; of which 

 we have here the example of two or more generations, and have 

 no knowledge whatever of when this abnormal statė may have be- 

 gun; — for, as in this exemplification, "likę begets likę" — " similia 

 similibus gignuntur" it is fair to conclude that the t\vo parents 

 whose progeny resembled them, had also progenitors similar to 

 themselves ; especially as they in their breeding, hke genuine species 

 in the wild statė, associated only with those of their own kiud ; 

 thus, if the race be not extinct, successions vvith the šame pecuhari- 

 ties will be produced, and givc rise to a remarkable example of the 



