1904.] Allen, Mammals from Sania Marta, Colombia. 421 



nearly all are found in dry forest or on open land, though 

 wandering into the forest, where, perhaps, some species are 

 residents; they make deep burrows, and, when alarmed, 

 commonly dig into the ground, disappearing rapidly; if the 

 hinder part of the body or the tail is seized before they have 

 quite buried themselves, it is difficult to drag the animal out, 

 so strong is the hold of their hooked claws. They make 

 amusing pets, but are apt to be a nuisance in country houses 

 without floors ; they burrow anywhere and make exits under 

 the walls. In captivity the smaller kinds readily eat fruit 

 and rice; in a wild state, all or nearly all the species are 

 partly insectivorous, and some kinds habitually burrow into 

 termite-hills; some eat fruits, and one or two of the larger 

 heavily armored kinds are not averse to carrion. 



"The large species are never eaten. Some of the smaller 

 kinds, especially those capable of rolling themselves into 

 balls, are greatly esteemed as food. On the Amazon the 

 Indians roast them in their own shells." H. H. S. 



9. Cabassous (Ziphila) lugubris (Gray). 



Tatoua (Ziphila} lugubris MILLER, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XIII, 

 Jan. 31, 1899, 6, 8, (Santa Marta). 



Cabassous hispidus BANGS, Proc. N. Engl. Zool. Club, I, Feb. 23, 

 1900, 89 (Santa Marta). 



Three specimens, carapaces with skeletons, all adult males, 

 - two from Bonda and one from Valparaiso. 



The collector's measurements of two of the specimens 

 (Nos. 14862 and 23441, Bonda) are as follows: Total length, 

 533, 495; tail, 159, 140; ear, 45, 62. 



The skulls measure as follows: 



14862 14863 23441 



$ 3 ? $ 



Greatest length 7 6 -5 7 2 74 



Basal length 7 



Zygomatic breadth 39 39 



Mastoid breadth 37 3& 



Interorbital breadth 24 



Depth of occiput 27 27 



Length of nasals 2 5-S 23 



Palatal length 46 43 



Length of mandible 5$ 



Upper toothrow 3 



Lower toothrow 2 S 



