MR. E. T. BENNETT ON THE GENUS OCTODON. 85 
wards the base, and the tips of most of them are pale brownish ash: the tips of the 
longer hairs, which are few in number, are almost black. On the under surface none 
of these longer, black-tipped hairs occur, and the tips of the ordinary hairs being at 
the same time paler in this situation than on the back, the colour of the belly is consi- 
derably lighter than that of the upper surface: on the chin and throat it is a pale fawn. 
On the feet and on the tail the short hairs are almost white. 
The following admeasurements will aid in the comparison of this animal with Octodon : 
In. 
Length of the head and body . . . ...-... ‘75 
Rencth otthe tat ai yer ete ee ee. aE 
Length ofthe head . . . . . See wy ee el 
Length of the muzzle, anterior to the yess. =. An we men 
Length of the longest whisker. . . . . . «. . ~ 2°25 
PIGIGHiiGEERCICHERR etre sie et Wee 80s Pele a eye dl 
Breadth of the ears . . . ie ko 
Length of the carpus to the ond of the lao tae eas ero 
Length of the tarsus to the end of the longest toe. . . 1°375 
Captain King, to whom zoology, among other sciences, is deeply indebted for much 
valuable information acquired during his various and arduous surveys, made on the 
subject of this animal the following memoranda. ‘“‘ From the size of the jaw, as com- 
pared with the abundant remains of this little animal which are scattered over the sur- 
face of the ground, I think that the present specimen is rather a young one. On exa- 
mining the teeth I find that it cannot be referred to any of the genera of M. F. Cuvier’s 
arrangement in his ‘ Dents des Mammiferes’: that to which it approaches most nearly 
is Helamys ; but it is sufficiently distinct to constitute a new genus. The red colour of 
the incisive teeth is very remarkable in all the specimens which I have seen. The little 
animal is very timid; feeds upon grass ; and is eaten by the Patagonian Indians. It 
dwells in holes, which it burrows, in the ground: and, from the number of the holes, 
it would appear to be very abundant. 
“Tt inhabits the East entrance of the Strait of Magalhaens at Cape Gregory and the 
vicinity.” 
PLATE XVI. 
Ocropon CuminGIl. 
Fig. 1. The skull seen from above. 
2. The same seen laterally. 
3. The upper jaw, exhibiting the crowns of the molar teeth. 
4. The lower jaw. 
