82 Desmarest on Capromys. 



The whiskers are numerous, strong, aud generally almost as 

 long as the head. 



The eyes, situated very near the line of the forehead, are rather 

 nearer to the base of the ears than to the extremity of the snout. 

 They are moderately large, very little longer than they are high ; 

 the eyelids are well formed, and the upper is furnished with very 

 fine, rather long and regular eye-lashes. Before the anterior can- 

 thus is a very slight furrow in a direction towards the nose. The 

 cornea is moderately convex ; the iris of a deep brown colour, the 

 pupil longitudinal and narrow by day, round at night ; the scle- 

 rotic greyish. 



The ears are nearly one-third the length of the head, they are 

 erect and lateral, nearly naked and blackish ; their anterior mar- 

 gin strait, the apex rounded, and the posterior margin marked 

 with a distinct rounded notch. 



The neck is short. 



The body is somewhat bulky, and like that of most of the Ro- 

 dentia, much thicker behind than before ; and the back is gene- 

 rally much arched below the region of the shoulders. The tail, 

 the length of which does not exceed half that of the body and head 

 together, is strait, thick, conical, almost without hair, and co- 

 vered with numerous scales disposed in rings. 



The hinder legs are, in length, intermediate between those of the 

 rats properly so called, and those of the marmots ; but they are at 

 least as thick and strong as the latter. The fore feet have four 

 toes, quite separate, terminated by strong arched and sharp-point- 

 ed claws ; and the rudiment of a thumb, furnished with a small 

 nail, truncate transversely, similar to that in the rats, marmots, 

 squirrels, &c. ; the longest toe is that which answers to the middle 

 finger, and the others decrease in the following order : the fourth 

 or ring finger, the index, and the little finger. The hind feet 

 have five toes, formed like the anterior, but longer, broader, and 

 with stronger claws ; the thumb, although the smallest, is much 

 detached, and its claw is as strong as those of the other toes ; of 

 these the middle is the longest, that on each side very little shorter, 

 and the external is intermediate between these and the thumb. 

 The joints of all the phalanges are readily felt, both above and 



