180 Mr. W. S. MacLeay’s Additional Notes on Capromys. 
penetrans being Wigua, and the British West India name for it being the 
Chigoe or Jigger. I beg to state also, that I have lately met with Dr. 
Poeppig’s Paper on Capromys, printed in the Philadelphia Transactions, 
by which it appears that this gentleman had forestalled several of my 
remarks. The perusal of his observations, moreover, makes me think 
that the animal described by Mr. Say as Isodon pilorides, is not the Mo- 
huy of Oviedo, but only some variety of the Capromys Fournieri, or the 
Hutia Congo. Isodon pilorides of Say will therefore be, as Dr. 
Poeppig thinks, only a synonym of Cap. Fournieri, Desm.; and Capro- 
mys prehensilis will be the true scientific name (as assigned by Dr. Poep- 
pig) of the Mohuy, or Hutia Carabali.. This matter would doubtless 
have been cleared up long ago, had the five animals I sent you alive in 
the Aurora Frigate, Capt. Austin, arrived safe; for you have a ready ac- 
cess to books, that in this out-of-the-way place I can only expect to see 
by the merest accident. 
I doubt much whether the Hutia Carabali has a tail so prehensile as 
Dr. Poeppig describes. I have seen a negro catch one by its long tail, 
and then swinging it, completely prevent it from being able to turn and 
bite him. The animal seemed indeed to be helpless when thus suspended 
by the tail. It is astonishing the force with which these Hutias will cling 
by their claws to the hollow of a tree. I have seen one, rather than let 
go his hold, allow a negro who had caught him by the tail to pull it off. 
Both the Capromys Fournieri and C. prehensilis are very paztial to ca- 
terpillars and chrysalids, but I observe they do not care much for sapro- 
phagous larvee, such as those of Dynastide, &c. They will also eat dried 
grass or hay. Their favourite food, however, in their native woods, is 
the bitter wild orange which has fallen to the ground, and so become de- 
composed. Atnight, which is their period of activity, they descend to 
eat these rotten oranges, and any other fruits or seeds that may have 
fallen. The Hutias are so plentiful in some districts of this island, that 
it isno uncommon thing to maintain the whole of the negroes on an In- 
genio, or sugar estate, with them as their principal or only animal food. 
