506 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXIV 7 , 



Great credit is due Mr. Verrill for persevering in his special quest for 

 this animal until success rewarded his efforts, for its discovery seemed at 

 the outset almost hopeless. Credit is also due to Dr. G. Lagai of the Natural 

 Science Department of the Kny-Scheerer Company of New York, who for 

 many years has taken great interest in securing specimens of Solenodon, 

 and who engaged Mr. Verrill for this enterprise. 



Mr. Verrill's account of the animal is the first that has appeared based 

 on actual observation of the animal in life and in its natural surroundings. 

 He says: "In its habits the Solenodon resembles a hog, rooting in the earth 

 and cultivated grounds, tearing rotten logs and trees to pieces with its power- 

 ful front claws, and feeding on ants, grubs, insects, vegetables, reptiles, and 

 fruit, and at times proving destructive to poultry. On several occasions it 

 has been known to enter the houses in search of roaches and other vermin, 

 and has been captured in rat-traps. 



"It is strictly nocturnal, and spends the day in caves, holes in the coral 

 limestone rocks and in hollow trees and logs. It is a slow, stupid creature. 

 It is unable to run rapidly, but shambles along with the zigzag, sidewise 

 motions of a plantigrade. It is doubtless owing to this that it obtained the 

 native name of 'Orso' (bear). 



"Its long snout and stout front feet, with their curved claws, and its 

 thick, short neck, prove impediments to forward progress. According to 

 the natives it is incapable of running straight. They also claim that when 

 pursued it frequently trips itself and tumbles heels over head. When hunted 

 with dogs it thrusts its head into the nearest hole or shelter and allows itself 

 to be captured without resistance. 



"The only specimen that I obtained was a female w^hich was captured 

 alive and uninjured. A few days after its capture it gave birth to three 

 naked young. These the mother promptly devoured, and she died three 

 days later." 



Solenodon paradoxus was first made known to science by Brandt in a 

 paper presented to the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg in December, 

 1832, and published the following year, 1 from a skin and imperfect skull 

 received from Haiti. His description of the species is remarkably full and 

 accurate, considering the nature of the material. This specimen remained 

 unique until 1907, when the three specimens collected by Mr. Verrill (as 

 noted above) were secured by this Museum. The single previously known 

 specimen described by Brandt was restudied some thirty years later by 

 Peters, 2 in comparison with his new species from Cuba (Solenodon cubanus), 



1 De Solenodonte, novo mammalium insectivorum genere. By J. F. Brandt. M6m. de 

 1 Acad. de St. Pfitersbourg, II, 1833, pp. 459-478. Also separate, pp. 1-20, pll. i, ii. 



* Uber die Saugethlergattung Solenodon. By W. Peters. Abhandl. der Konigl. Akad. 

 der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1863 (1864), pp. 1-22, pll. i-iii. 



