CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 7. RODENTIA. 



40; 



blance to shining pins. It continues on the sides and flanks, but is wanting on the lower part of 

 the body, which is covered with softer and smoother hair. On this part of the body it is very 

 short, not exceeding one twenty-fourth part of an inch in length. 



The female has eight mamma?, which indicates a progeny rather numerous, though little is 

 known of the manners of the species. It is understood, however, that they are subject to consid- 

 erable variety of color, either in different individuals or at different ages; for some have been 

 brought to Europe in which the produced and flattened hairs on the upper part were brown, and 

 not maroon ; but as these were smaller in size than the more richly colored ones, it is probable 

 that they were in an immature state. This species lives in the woods under trees, and is supposed 

 to subsist chiefly upon fruits. 



Besides this species, there are the Straw-colored Nelomys, JV. paleaceus, found in Brazil ; 

 Blainville's Nelomys, JV. Blainvillii, found in the province of Bahia; the JV. didelphdides JV. 

 armatus, and JV. semi-villosus. 



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DACTYLOMYS. 



Genus DACTYLOMYS : Dactylomys. — Of this there is a single species, the D. typus of Is. 

 Geoffroy, and the Echimys dactylinus of E. Geoffroy. It is more than nine inches from the muz- 

 zle to the insertion of the tail, and the tail itself is twelve inches. The hair upon the body is hard 

 and dry, but not spinous ; that on the front is flattened, but on the hinder part it is longer and 

 rougher, and on the upper part of the neck it stands up like a sort of crest. The middle toes of 

 the feet are much larger than the outer ones ; the nails on the toes of the fore-feet are flat, some- 

 thing in the form of those of the sapajous; but on the hind-feet, which have five toes, they arc 

 very strong and crooked; the tail, throughout the whole of its length, is naked of hair, and scaly. 

 The manners of this species are very little known. 



, Genus LASIUROMYS : Lasiuromys. — Of this there is but one species, the Hairy Lasiuro- 

 mys, L. villosus, which is found along the Amazon, and is of a reddish-gray color, and is supposed 

 to be a tree-climber; it is about eight inches long, and its tail seven. 



Genus CAPROMYS : Capromys. — The animals of this genus are of a heavier mould than the 



^preceding; their covering is not spiny, but the hair is rough; the tail is rather long and scaly, and 



