1S9 



HYSTRICID^E. 



body in length ; fur long ; the under fur very dense and soft ; upper 

 parts of the animal pencilled with dusky and brownish yellow, in 

 about equal proportions ; sides and under parts with the prevailing 

 tint, brown-yellow; tip of muzzle and chin white; a yellow patch 

 immediately beneath the ear-opening ; feet dusky-brown. 



Coypu Rat (Myopvtaniut Cat/put). 



Immature Specimens. General hue rich brown, on the sides of the 

 body inclining to yellow. 



The Coypu in very nearly equal in size to the Beaver, and bears a 

 considerable superficial resemblance to that auimal ; its tail however 

 is cylindrical, has a scaly skin, and is scantily clothed with hairs, short 

 and stiff, like that of the Rat. It inhabits the rivers and streams of 

 a great portion of South America, occurring on both sides of the 

 Andes. On the eastern side it extends from Peru southward to the 

 Rio Chupat, in 43 20' S. lat. In the eastern portions of Brazil the 

 Coypu was not met with by the Prince of Nieuwied. On the west 

 side of the Andes this animal ranges, according to Mr. Darwin, from 

 the valleys of Central Chili (33 lat.) to 48 S., or perhaps even some- 

 what farther, but does not extend to Tierra del Fuego. la the Chonos 

 Archipelago, Mr. Darwin states, these animals, instead of inhabiting 

 fresh-water, live exclusively in the bays and channels which extend 

 between the innumerable small islets of that group. They make their 

 burrows within the forest, at a short distance from the rocky beaches. 



The inhabitants of Chiloe, who sometimes visit this archipelago 

 for the purpose of fishing, state that the Coypus here do not live solely 

 on vegetable matter, as is the case with those inhabiting rivers, but 

 that they sometimes eat shell-fish. The Coypu is said to be a bold 

 animal, and to fight fiercely with the dogs employed in chasing it. 

 It flesh is white and well flavoured. At Buenos Ayres an extensive 

 trade is carried on in the skins of the Coypus, there called Nutrias, 

 or Otters. 



C'crmmyi. The molar teeth of equal size, or very nearly so ; the 

 crowns of a rounded form ; those of the upper jaw with a deep fold 

 of enamel entering from the inner side and occupying the outer half 

 of the tooth ; molars of the lower jaw like those of the upper, but 

 with the areas and enamel fold reversed in position ; feet normal ; 

 tail long and scaly ; ears moderately large ; fur moderate aa to 

 texture. 



C. cuniculariia, the Cercomys. Ears moderately large ; tail about 

 equal to the head and body in length ; tarsus long; fur moderate 

 as to texture ; its general tint deep-brown ; the sides of the body of 

 a paler hue, and the under parts impure white. It inhabits Brazil. 



Petromyt. The molar teeth very nearly equal in size and rooted ; 

 their crowns of a quadrate form, placed obliquely in the jaw, so that 

 the inner front angle is the most forward ; each tooth with a single 

 indenting fold of enamel on either side ; the folds of opposite sides 

 meeting in the mesial line of the tooth ; incisor teeth small and com- 

 pressed, rather deeper than wide, and flat in front. Body clothed in 

 fur of the ordinary kind ; ears wither small, hairy ; feet small ; toes 

 5 5 ; the thumb exceedingly small, but provided with a small nail. 

 Tail about equal to the body in length, well covered with moderately 

 long hairs, which gradually increase in length towards the apex of the 

 organ, where they are longest. 



P. typicus, the Petromys. Fur moderately long and soft ; prevailing 

 colour rufous brown ; head (with the exception of the muzzle, which 

 is rufous) and fore parts of the body grayish-brown ; throat inclining 

 to white ; abdomen palish rufous-yellow ; tail of the same colour 

 as th body at the root; the remaining portion black. It inhabits 

 South Africa. 



Dactylomyi. Four toes to the fore feet, and these armed with short 

 convex nail* ; the intermediate pair of toes long. The series of molar 



teeth of opposite sides of the upper jaw converging and nearly meet- 

 ing in front; all the molars relatively large ; those of the upper jaw 

 each composed of two separate lobes, which are contracted and pointed 

 on the inner side of the tooth, and broad, and with a deep fold of 

 enamel on the outer side ; the foremost molar of the lower jaw with 

 cue external and two internal folds of enamel, and the remaining 

 molars each with two lobes, of which one, forming the hinder part of 

 the tooth, is narrow and transverse : the other is broad on the inner 

 side of the tooth, where it has a deeply indenting enamel fold. 



D. typus, the Typical Dactylomys ; Echimys dactylinns, Geoffroy, 

 Desmarest, and F. Cuvier ; Loncheres dactyllna, Fischer. Hairs of the 

 fur long and somewhat harsh ; upper parts of the body freckled with 

 black and yellow ; under parts, as well as the head and feet, dirty 

 yellow-white ; the hairs on the upper surface of the head very long, 

 especially towards the hinder part ; tail longer than the head and 

 body taken together. It is probably a native of Brazil. 



Loncheres ; Nelomys, Jourdan, I. Geoffory, and Pictet ; Phyllomys, 

 Lund. ; Isothrix, Wagner. Short and broad feet ; ears somewhat 

 small ; molar teeth rather large, and longer than broad ; those of the 

 upper jaw each with two principal transverse folds of enamel, often 

 completely dividing the tooth ; and those of the lower jaw with one 

 exerual and two internal folds of enamel. Palate narrow, most so 

 between the foremost molars. 



L. cristata, White-Crested Loncheres ; Ecldmys cristatus, Geoff., 

 and Desm. ; L. paleacea, Illiger and Lichteustein ; Nelomys cristatus, 

 and N. paleaceus, Geoff. ; Myoxus chrysurus (Gilt-Tailed Dormouse), 

 Shaw; Hystrix chrysurus, Schreber. Upper parts and sides of the 

 body covered with broad spines ; general colour brown ; dark on the 

 back, reddish on the sides of the body, and pale on the abdomen ; 

 upper surface of the head white ; the hairs on this part stiff, and 

 very long, especially towards the occiput ; region of eye and occiput 

 black ; tail black, with the apical half (or more or less) white. It 

 inhabits Guyana and Para. 



L. JBlainvillii, the Black-Tailed Loncheres; Nelomys Blainvillii, 

 Jourdan and Geoffroy. General hue of the animal bright sienna- 

 yellow; chin, throat, and in fact the whole of the under parts, pure 

 white ; fore feet also white ; hind feet yellow ; tail nearly as long as 

 the head and body together, and with black hairs, excepting at the 

 root, where the hairs are of the same yellow hue as those of the 

 body. It inhabits Brazil, in the vicinity of Bahia, and is likewise 

 fouud in a small island (island of Deos) off the coast of Bahia. 



L. armata, Strong-Spined Loncheres ; M us hispidus, Lichtenstein ; 

 Nelomys armatus, Ueoffroy. Upper parts of the body armed with 

 strong and broad spines; tail about equal to the body in length, 

 with spines on the upper surface at the root, and scattered small 

 whitish hairs beyond ; general hue brown, but pencilled with yellow ; 

 under parts dirty pale yellow ; muzzle rufous. It inhabits Guyana. 



L. obscura, Dusky Loncheres. Brown freckled with yellow ; belly 

 yellowish ; tail equal to the head and body in length, and provided 

 with very short scattered hairs. It inhabits Brazil. 



L, picta ; Nelomys pictus, Pictet. Brownish-white ; a large oblong 

 brown patch on the upper surface of the head ; back and shoulders, 

 as well as the tail, brown ; but the latter with the terminal portion, 

 and likewise the basal portion beneath, dirty white ; tail rather longer 

 than the head and body taken together. It inhabits Bahia and Brazil. 



Echimys (Echinomys), Wagner. The feet narrow and moderately 

 long ; upper molar teeth with one internal indenting fold of enamel, 

 and one or two folds on the outer side, 



Cayennentii, Cayenne Echimys ; E. setosus, Geoffroy ; E. Myosuros, 

 Lichtenstein ; E. leptosoma, Lichtenstein and Brants. ; Mus cinnamo- 

 meus, Lichtenstein ; Loncheres anomala, Kiihl ; L. Cayennensis, Fischer ; 

 . lonyicaudatua ( ? ), Rengger ; Echinomyi leptosoma, Waguer. Tail 

 nearly as long as the head and body together ; ears large ; tarsi long, 

 upper parts of the body chiefly covered with spines ; sides likewise 

 with spines, but with a considerable admixture of hairs ; upper parts 

 of the animal of a dusky brown colour ; sides of the body, and more 

 especially of the head, suffused with rufous; under parts white. It 

 inhabits Guyana and Brazil. 



E. albisjiinosus, White-Spined Echimys. Tail scaly and with short 

 hairs ; bead, upper parts and sides of body, with spines, those on 

 the upper parts black at the extremity, and those on the flanks white ; 

 general hue on the upper parts brown, and of the flanks rufous ; the 

 whole under parts are pure white. It inhabits Bahia and Brazil. 



. hispidus, Strong-Spined Echimys. About equal to the Black 

 Rat (Mus Rattus) in size ; tail very nearly equal to the head and body 

 in length, and well covered with longish hairs, excepting at the base ; 

 ears small ; broad and strong spines cover the whole upper parts and 

 sides of the animal, commencing on the back of the head ; upper 

 parts rusty brown ; feet, sides, and under parts of the body, rust- 

 coloured. It inhabits Bahia and Brazil. 



E. brachyurus, Short-Tailed Echimys ; E. ipinoiut, Desmarest and 

 Rengger ; Mus spinosus, Lichtenstein ; Loncheres rufa, Licht. Spines 

 narrow and hidden by the fur; ears moderate; tail about as long 

 as the body ; tarsus long ; general colour rich brown (pencilled black 

 and rufous) ; under parts dirty white ; feet dark brown. It inhabits 

 Paraguay and Bolivia. 



E. inermit, the Spineless Echimys. Feet moderately long; tail 

 rather shorter than the head and body taken together, and clothed 



