82 MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. 
face and head. The ears are dusky, with a few stiff gray hairs at their base anteriorly, 
and some whitish and more closely set hairs on their inner surface. The shorter 
whiskers are for the most part white, and the longer black. The legs are grayish mixed 
with brown, becoming of a paler gray towards the feet ; and the claws are deep black. 
The following admeasurements are taken from a stuffed specimen : 
In. 
Length. of the head and body. po.) ee es = G66 
Menez thcOthestall sie cermin rhe ae ote 
Dength of the*heades. 5, a ner Se 166 
Length of the muzzle, anterior tothe eyes . . . . ‘66 
Length of the longest whisker . . . . . . . . 2 
Height ofthe ears 2025.) 206 MN, BG 7B 
Berandin Of the Cars ii. ota op fe, ii et. an. auf i oat oer 
Length of the carpus to the end of the longest toe . . ‘75 
Length of the tarsus to the end of the longest toe . . 1:25 
To Mr. Cuming, to whom I have dedicated this species, the Society is indebted for 
all the representatives of it that it has yet occurred to me to see. The animal, how- 
ever, although apparently local, is exceedingly abundant in its native country. Captain 
King informs me that he has seen thousands of them at Valparaiso: and Mr. Cuming 
refers to them as being very numerous in that neighbourhood. To the latter gentleman 
I owe the subjoined information respecting their habits in a state of nature. ‘‘ These 
animals burrow in the ground, but always under brushwood fences or in low thickets. 
They are so abundant in the neighbourhood of Valparaiso, that in the high road be- 
tween that place and St. Jago, more than a hundred may frequently be seen at one 
time in search of food. Sometimes, but not often, they are observed on the lower 
branches of the shrubs, and on those which form the fences. They fly at the least 
alarm, and in running carry their tufted tails bent like a bow. A species of horned Oul, 
of which I had the pleasure of presenting a specimen to the Society, feeds principally 
on these pretty little creatures.” 
Two living specimens, brought from Chili by Mr: Cuming, were placed by him in 
1831 in the Society’s Menagerie. One of them has since escaped, but the other 
remains alive, and is still as active and as lively as it was on its first arrival. In capti- 
vity they appear rather shy, and have but little playfulness. They readily leap, with 
great agility and without any appearance of exertion, from the floor of their cage to a 
narrow perch placed at the height of nearly a foot, on which they remain seated quite 
at their ease. Their food is, of course, entirely vegetable. 
These were probably the first individuals of the species that were brought to Europe. 
They arrived here in 183] ; and were described by me, early in the ensuing year, under 
the name and with the characters which are still retained for them. In 1833 the ani- 
mal was again described by Dr. F. J. F. Meyen, in acommunication made to the German 
