QUADRUPEDS. 37 



inches in length. This gigantic rat is found in maay 

 places on the coast of Coromandel, in Mysore, and in 

 several parts of Bengal, between Calcutta and Hurdwar, 

 It is partial to dry situations, and scarcely ever occurs at a 

 distance from human habitations. The lowest caste of 

 Hindoos, according to General Hardwicke, eat the flesh of 

 this rat in preference to that of any other species. It is 

 extremely mischievous, and will burrovv to a great depth, 

 passing beneath the foundations of stores and granaries, 

 if these are not deeply laid ; and it perforates with ease the 

 walls of such buildings as are formed with mud or unburnt . 

 brick. It is destructive in gardens, and roots up the seeds 

 of all kinds of leguminous plants. Fruits also suffer from 

 its depredations, and it will even attack poultry when it 

 finds itself stinted in a vegetable diet. The bite of this 

 animal is considered dangerous ; and a European serving 

 in the Honourable Company's artillery is known to have 

 died in the Doab of confirmed hydrophobia, in consequence 

 of having been bit by the species in question. We may 

 here add, that the common rat {Mu.s decumanus), now the 

 pest of most of the great cities of Europe, is supposed to 

 have come originally from India. 



The animal kingdom presents no species of a more sin- 

 gular form and aspect than the pangolins, or manis tribe, 

 sometimes denominated scaly lizards. They occur both in 

 Africa and the East, and belong to the order Edentata. 

 The short-tailed manis {M. pejitadactyla, Linn.) appears to 

 have been described by JElian under the name of phattagen. 

 Its body is covered with thick scales disposed over the sur- 

 face like tiles on the roof of a house. It is destitute of 

 teeth, but has a long extensile tongue, with which it preys 

 on ants and termites. The tail is shorter than the body, 

 and the total length is from three to four feet. They 

 kill lizards, according to Erxleben. Their dispositions are 

 gentle, their voices feeble, their progression slow. They 

 seldom appear except during the night, and their flesh in 

 some countries is sought after as a delicate article of food. 

 The species alluded to is called Ahmgu on the coast of 

 Coromandel. It inhabits several parts of India, and like- 

 wise occurs in the islands of Formosa and Ceylon. 



Vol. III.— D 



