MUS BANDTCOTA. 193 



The genus, as here restricted, comprises the house-rats and mice, and 

 some field-rats of more or less allied form, and the various species may 

 be grouped together according to their size and habit. 



1st Group. Rats more or less allied to the common brown rat, Mus 

 decumanus, L. Chuhd, H. Yelka, Tel. Illi t Can. Kallok, Lepch. 

 Pitei, Bhot. 



174. Mus bandicota. 



BECHSTEIN. BLYTH, Cat. p. 112. M. giganteus, HARDWICKE, Lin. 

 Trans. VIII. t. 18. M. vnalabaricus, SHAW. M. nemorivagus, HODG- 

 SON. M. perchal, SHAW 1 M. setifer, HORSFIELD, fid. BLYTH. ELLIOT, 

 Cat. 30. Indur, Sansc. G/ious or Ghus, H. and Mahr. Ikria or Ikara, 

 Beng. Ilegyin, Can. Pandi koku, Tel., i. e. the pig-rat, whence the 

 word Bandicoot is derived. 



THE BANDICOOT-RAT. 



Descr. Dark dusky olive-brown colour above, with some black bristly 

 hairs intermixed ; beneath lighter, mixed with gray. 



Length of a large individual, head and body 15 inches ; tail 13 ; weight 

 3 Ib. Hardwicke's specimen figured was, head and body 13 \ ; tail 13. 

 Average size in Bengal, head and body 10| inches ; tail 8|. Hodgson 

 gives dimensions of nemorivagus as, snout to rump 12 ; tail 9J ; weight 

 20 oz. 



The incisors are dark olive-green at the base, becoming yellow at the 

 extremities. The molars have strong alveolar processes ; the anterior 

 (prsemolar) is divided into three portions by transverse ridges of enamel, 

 the middle ones into two, and the posterior ones only partially so. They 

 become quite tubercular when old. The tail is scaly, with a few scat- 

 tered, short, adpressed, bristly hairs. The female has twelve teats. 



This well-known rat is found throughout India, also in Ceylon, and 

 many parts of Malayana, the M. setifer of Horsfield being identical with 

 this species. According to information lately received from Mr. Blyth, it 

 appears to be more abundant in the south of India and Ceylon than in 

 the north ; and Mr. Blyth states it to be rare in Calcutta. In the fort at 

 Madras it is exceedingly numerous, living during the day in drains, and 

 entering houses at night. During my residence in Fort St. George, I 

 killed a great many in my own house, some of which were of large size,- and 



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