1880.] MR. O. THOMAS ON A NEW MUS. 11 



a glistening snow-white and of silky consistency. The use of the 

 fringe surrounding the shield is, in my opinion, solely to prevent 

 the introduction of sand beneath it during excavation. 



The light fine sand in which the Chlamijdophorus truncatus burrows 

 proclaims unmistakably its presence, as well as that of even the 

 minutest animals, by the tracks left ; the fox, the beetle and the 

 spider are thus equally betrayed. The natives are apt observers of 

 these, and even from the saddle will decipher and distinguish at a 

 glance the various foot-prints, and unerringly detail the animals that 

 have passed any assigned spot during the night. With regard to 

 our elegant little friend there is no mistake ; besides the impressions 

 of the four feet, the inclined stiff tail leaves its deep central indented 

 line. Of course, after rain, which falls but seldom, the track is 

 accentuated ; and the only sure way of effecting a capture is to follow 

 it, as it leads directly to a small hillock of sand, by removing which, 

 the entrance to the tunnel is exposed to view ; and if the tracks were 

 numerous, the animal would no longer be rare ; but it is a fact 

 that a year or more sometimes elapses without any trace of its 

 existence. In a few instances specimens have been unhoused by 

 the plough. 



I could not succeed in discovering the nature of the food from 

 the solitary live specimens I obtained ; but I fed it on milk, which it 

 lapped like a cat. I then endeavoured unsuccessfully to entice it 

 with chopped meat, and only by artifice introduced some pieces into 

 its mouth, which it swallowed. 



There are authentic cases of the Chlaimjdophorus being preyed 

 upon by other animals, especially by Foxes and Cats. 



3. Description of a new Species of Mas from the Fiji Islands. 

 By Oldfield Thomas, F.Z.S. Assistant in the Zoological 

 Department, Bi'itish Museum. 



The subject of this description was obtained in October 18/8, near 

 the village of Waitovu in the island of Ovalau, by Baron A. vonHiigel, 

 Avho resided for some years in the Fiji Islands, and who has pre- 

 sented his small collection of Fijian Mammalia to the British Museum. 

 This collection consists of specimens of Pteropus samoensis, Peale, 

 Notopteris macdonaldi, Gray, Emballonura semicaadata, Peale, 

 Mus decumanus. Pall., Mus exidans, Peale, and the specimen here 

 described. 



The most noticeable point about this species is the character of 

 the fur, which is extremely long, soft, and silky. The only other 

 Rodent a* all resembling it in this respect is the Hesperomys pana- 

 mensis of Gray', which has a similar character of the fur, though in 

 a lesser degree. 



' Seomys pannmcnsh, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1873, xii. p. 417. 



