444 BLUEFIELDS. 



But besides these, there is a species much talked 

 of as infesting sugar estates, and doing much damage 

 by devouring the growing cane ; it is hence called 

 the Cane-piece Rat. A single specimen has fallen 

 under my observation, a male, which was brought 

 me in February, from a plot of cane near Bluefields. 

 It was manifestly a distinct species, as the descrip- 

 tion below will show*, easily distinguished by its 



with his opinion on some twenty or more skins of the Jamaican 

 Muridce, brought home by me. The distribution of this ubiquitous 

 group, whose members so closely resemble each other, and are yet so 

 subject to individual variation, is peculiarly difficult ; but he thinks 

 that the specimens may be distributed into four species, all of Old 

 World origin : Mus rattus, decumanus, Indicus (?) 'and musculus. 

 The third of these is, perhaps, the most numerous ; it is very closely 

 allied to M. rattus in form and proportions, with the brown, brin- 

 dled hue of Indicus ; the belly is frequently, not invariably, of a de- 

 licate pale yellow tint. Its long tail and slender feet distinguish it 

 from decumamis. The Mouse is of a warmer hue than common spe- 

 cimens of our musculus, being of an umber-brown above, and delicate 

 pale bay beneath ; but Mr. Waterhouse sees no reason to distinguish 

 it specifically. It is a house-mouse in Jamaica, as in Europe. 



I may mention a curious fact connected with the species supposed 

 to be Indicus. A specimen, taken in a guinea-grass piece, was a 

 male, but had been emasculated ; the wound was not quite healed, 

 when it came into my possession. The Squirrels have been affirmed 

 to perform this operation upon each other in their combats, but the 

 statement has been explained away. There was, however, no mistake 

 in the present case. 



All these four species are now distributed over the whole known 

 world, 



* Mus saccharivorus, mihi. The Cane-piece Rat. Length from 

 muzzle to base of tail, 9^ inches ; tail, 8 in. ; from nose to inner angle 

 of eye, 1 in. ; from nose to orifice of ear, 2 in. : length of ear, -^in. ; 

 fore foot, f^; hind foot, Ij^'m. ; angle of muzzle, about 75°. Upper 

 parts brindled umber-brown ; face, throat, breast, and belly, ash- 

 colour, the tints separated sub -abruptly. Feet white ; tail thick, 

 little hairy, greyish above, whitish beneath. Incisors ferruginous. 



