THE GROWTH OF GROUPS 55 



is like the larger and better known species in every respect, 

 except that the mean length of the head and body is only 

 120 mm. 



2. A white-bellied race of the mttus type which cannot 

 be placed appropriately under any of the established 

 specific names. It is unnecessary for our present purpose 

 to give it a name. 



3. Mus norvegicus, the common grey rat of England 

 is found here as in most ports. 



4. Gunomys bengalensis, as found in Bengal and 

 described on page 42. 



5. Gunomys varius, considerably larger than any of 

 the foregoing ; a bristly, formidable animal, called bandi- 

 coot locally. These animals would be placed in the genus 

 Bandicoota if they happened to possess the large feet 

 peculiar to that genus, but they agree very closely with 

 the definition of Gunomys varius given by Mr. Thomas. 

 This question will be referred to later on, when describ- 

 ing a certain sport derived from this race which happened 

 to possess large feet and therefore appeared to be a 

 bandicoot. 



The different kinds were delivered in a promiscuous 

 manner, but as a rule those brought by one man were all 

 of one species. By questioning the collectors it was 

 possible to ascertain generally the kind of environment 

 which each species preferred to live in, but it was often 

 difficult to obtain satisfactory information concerning 

 the circumstances of any particular batch of rats which 

 might be brought to the collecting stations. In spite of 

 the unreliability of the information it was evident that 

 any one collector usually brought rats of one particular 

 species, because, as a rule, they had all been captured in 



