94 Zoological Society : — 



securing two of them ; — the following day, on moving some of the 

 straw in search of more, he disturbed two others, which he also cap- 

 tured; and disposed of the four to Bond, the Maidenhead Bridge boat- 

 man, for five shillings. Two died during the first night, probably from 

 the rough usage they received when taken ; there remained, to use 

 Bond's expression, but " the old buck and a doe big with kit." In 

 seven days she brought forth five young ones ; and the next day 

 removed from the nest two that were dead ; the remainder were 

 reared. One of the existing five was afterwards lost or killed. 

 These little animals were readily recognized as a form of mouse, but 

 of so extraordinary a conformation in their external structure as to 

 attract the curiosity of the immediate neighbourhood, and obtain 

 the not inappropriate name of the rhinoceros mice. The surmise 

 of the people on the spot is, that they had escaped from one of the 

 numerous barges which are constantly arriving at the paper-mills 

 laden with rags, &c., principally of foreign importation. Bond 

 having possessed them four months, offered them for sale to the Zoo- 

 logical Society of London, and the purchase being declined, I bought 

 them, lest so singular a form in natural history should be lost to 

 science and pass into oblivion ; and it is to prevent this, that I now 

 beg to record their characters in the ' Proceedings ' of this Society. 

 They were shov/n at the meetings of this and the Linna3an Societies, 

 and to many other naturalists ; and finally, were exhibited during 

 four months in the small-quadruped house in the gardens of the 

 Society, with the view of eliciting information respecting them, as to 

 any similar conformation in the species or genus having befoi'e been 

 observed ; and expressions of surprise at their novelty of form were 

 in every instance the only remarks obtained. x\t the period named of 

 their exhibition all had died. Unfortunately they did not breed, 

 although three of them were born, in captivity. 



In size these animals somewhat exceeded the common mouse, 

 measuring from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail 4^ths 

 inches ; they were totally destitute of hairs, excepting some two or 

 three dark-coloured labial hairs, or whiskers; the external integument 

 piiikish white, and formed into coarse prominent plicae, or duplica- 

 tures of itself, transversely traversing the body in an undulated shape, 

 and increasing in widUi and projection as they descended from the 

 dorsum to the most depending line on either side of the thorax and 

 abdomen, and there forming pendulous flaps, extending from the arm 

 of the fore to the thighs of the hind legs ; so that all the legs being 

 stretched asunder, as when on the wires of the cage, these flaps 

 became expanded in the manner of the flying squirrel. The plicae 

 or duplications of the skin were on the sides of the body in a degree 

 symmetrical ; and on the face and head particularly so; the ears of a 

 dark or blackish colour, the tail ash-coloured, and the eyes black, 

 indicating that they were not albinos of the species. It was curious 

 to observe the quickness and dexterity with which their little paws 

 opened along the furrows formed by the plicae or folds, to clean 

 between them. So dissimilar, it will be observed from the cha- 

 racters given, is the external formation of these animals from that 



