THE PENTAIL. 155 



II.— GENUS HYLOMYS. 



This g-enus is characterized by the shortness and bareness of its tail, 

 and by the absence of the bony ring around the orbit of the eye, wiiich 

 is such a peculiar feature in the genus Tupaia. Two species only are 

 known. 



The Hyi.OMYS, Hylomys suillus, is a small species which is found in 

 Sumatra and Java, where it lives on the hills, two thousand feet above 

 the sea-level. It is by no means common. The muzzle is developed 

 into a movable proboscis, turning in a downward curve at the tip, 

 where the nostrils are placed laterally. The eyes are not promment or 

 large, but the ears are of considerable size. It possesses forty-four teeth; 

 the three central toes in the feet are longer than the rest. 



HI. — GENUS PTILOCERCUS. 



This genus is known only by one species, a specimen of which is 

 preserved in the British Museum. 



THE PENTAIL. 



The Pentail, Ptilocercus Lowii (Plate V), is an extraordinary crea- 

 ture which was first described by Mr. Low, who captured one of them. 

 in the house of Sir James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak. It derives its 

 name from the resemblance borne by its tail to the old quill pen of our 

 ancestors. It is about the size of a rat, but appears to be of greater 

 dimensions, on account of its extremely long tail with the remarkable 

 appendage at its extremity. As represented in the plate, the tail is of 

 extraordinary length when compared with the size of the body, and is 

 devoin of hair, except at its extremity, where it is furnished with a 

 doublj row of stiff hairs on each side, which stand boldly out, like the 

 barbs jf an arrow. The remainder of the tail is covered with scales, 

 which are square in their form, like those of the long-tailed rats, and 

 of considerable size. The color of the tail is black, and the bristly 

 barbs "vhite, so that this member presents a peculiarly quaint aspect. 



The fur which covers the body of the Pentail is extremely soft in 

 texture, and is of a blackish-brown tint above, fading into a yellowish- 



