388 On the Mush-Bat of the Antilles. 



1881, nee Laurillard, 1848) the new name of MoscHOMYS 

 (Musk-Rat). 



As for the specific name of the type of this genus, the 

 question is more complicated. The name '^ pilon'des" 

 (Pallas, 1778) ought to be dropped, Pallas* having under 

 this name included two very distinct species. One is the 

 Mus albus ceTjlonicns, Brisson (Quadr. Epitome, p. 122, sp. 8), 

 given as being from Ceylon (!), the description of which 

 indicates that it is really the type of Mus j^ilorides, and in 

 nowise agrees with the second species, the musk-rat of the 

 Antilles, the fur of which is black on the back. 



The name '' jjiloris,^'' proposed by Dr. Forsytii Major is 

 also untenable, Zimmermann having only used it in imiration 

 of BufFon as a vernacular name. Indeed, in the ' Geograpii- 

 ische Geschichte' (ii. p. 360) he refers the "Ratmusque" 

 of Rochefort to Mus pilorides, Pallas, whose synonymy he 

 copies entirely. The name "Castor pilorides^^ was bestowed 

 hy Pallas, who latinized, in 1778, the vulgar name given by 

 Zimmermann in 1777. 



The name "Cavia moccJiafa,''^ latinized also by Pallas 

 from the " Musk-Cavy " of Pennant, is synonymous with 

 " piloj'ides, Pallas," and for the same reasons must be rejected. 



Finally, there remains the name " Desmaresti,^ created in 

 1829 by Fischer t for the Mus pilorides, Desmarest (nee 

 Pallas), which is incontestably the " Rat rausque de la 

 Martinique" of Rochefort % ; find this name is applicable to 

 the species under consideration, as already proposed by 

 Mr. J. A. Allen [loc. cit. 1902). 



The genus Moschomys will thus include the following three 

 species :— 



1. MoscJiomys Desmaresti, Fischer, 1829 (La Martinique). 



2. lucice, Major, 1902 (Santa Lucia), 



3. nova species (fossil), Major (Barbuda). 



* ' NoTte Species ordine Glirium,' 1778, p. 01. Likewise the identifi- 

 catiou of Mus pilorides, PaUas {■= Mus alhus ceyloniciis, Bx\s.&OTv),\!iih. 

 tlie Capromys from Cuba is very doubtful, and practically nut allowable. 

 Consequently tlie name " Capromys Fournieri, Desuiurest, 1882," is 

 preferably to be applied to this species, and '^pilorides'' must be entirely 

 cancelled as a systematic name and rejected from the synonymy. 



t 'Synopsis Mammalium,' 1829, p. 316 (=Mus pilorides] Desmfiw, 

 Diet. So. Nat, t, xliv. (1826) p. 483;— not ' Xouv. Diet.,' as Pischer says 

 by mistake. 



X Fischer says "'In iiisuLa Martinica, D. Flee.''' 



