169 



GILT-TAILED DORMOUSE. 



Myoxus Chrysurus. M. purpureo-ferrugineus, stria capitis longi- 



tudmali caudacque medietate postica luttii. 

 Purplish brown Dormouse, with the hind part of the tail and 



longitudinal stripe on the head gold-yellow. 

 Le Lerot a queue doree. Bujf. Suppl. 7. p. 283. pi. 72. 

 Hystrix chrysurus. Schreb. saeugth. svppl. 

 Gilt-tailed Dormouse. Pennant Qwac/r. 2. p. 162. 



THIS singular species, though considered by its 

 first describer, Mr. Allamand, as well as by Mr. 

 Pennant in his History of Quadrupeds, as a species 

 of Dormouse, is allied in perhaps an equal degree 

 to the Porcupines, among which it is placed by Mr. 

 Schreber. It is supposed to be a native of Suri- 

 nam, and is remarkable for the beauty of its co- 

 lours ; being of a fine purplish brown above, ra- 

 ther paler beneath ; the tail is brown at its base, 

 black for half its length, and the remainder of a 

 bright gold-yellow, and on the top of the head is 

 a longitudinal stripe, of that colour. The head 

 is large in proportion to the body; the eyes small; 

 the ears moderately large, short, and rounded ; 

 the upper lip divided ; the front teeth white and 

 short ; those of the lower jaw being the largest : 

 on each side the nose are long vibrissse or whisk- 

 ers ; the legs are short ; the feet divided into four 

 toes, with weak crooked claws ; and in place of 

 the thumb a small tubercle. On the hind part of 

 the head, and along the back, are scattered seve- 

 ral haii-s much longer than the rest, and of a very 

 different form and substance, being tlat, stiff, and 



