356 MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE MAMMALS OF FoRMOSA. (Dec. 9, 
somewhat pointed and flesh-coloured. The eye is small and brown, 
and much sunken in the inner corner of the lids. This again gives 
no appearance of nocturnal habits ; yet in confinement I observed the 
animal asleep the greater part of the day; further, from what I 
learned from the natives I should say it was for the most part crepus- 
cular. It lives much on fruit and berries, as well as on birds and small 
mammals. It climbs trees with agility, and is frequently taken 
curled up in the corner of some large branch. _ Its fur is pretty, but 
long and coarse, and therefore not much valued. 
8. TALPA INSULARIS, n. sp. Chinese, Puh-han-teen (“not see 
the sky, or blind’’). 
I have not yet had the opportunity of comparing the dentition of 
this animal with that of its congeners, but I have no hesitation in 
pronouncing it a good species, simply from the fact of its being a 
blind Mole. The North China species I sent home Dr. Gray dis- 
tinguished as separable from 7. leucura, Blyth, of India, to which it 
is a close ally. That Chinese Mole I examined, and found it to have 
an eye peering through open lids. The Formosan species has an eye, 
but without lids ; the skin is closed over it. I extract my note on the 
animal soon after death. ‘The length of this Mole is 5;4, inches ; 
tail 2 inch, with a few long whitish hairs, chiefly at the end; length 
of hand ;8; inch; breadth of hand 5 inch ; the inner of the three 
tubercles on the palm of the hand is lengthened, and shaped like 
a false toe, but has no nail. It is a small species, with very short 
tail, and slightly turned-up snout. Eye size of No. 10 shot, seen 
through a thin skin, which covers it, and gives it a leaden look. I 
had this Mole alive, and placed it on the table. It shuffled about 
pretty fast from one end to the other, moving all the while its head 
from side to side, but appeared quite blind, running against any ob- 
stacle placed in its way, until it touched it with its sensitive nose : 
when it perceived its mistake, it uttered a sharp chatter and made off 
in another direction. I placed it in a rat-trap ; but it soon pushed the 
wires aside with its strong fore paws, and forced its broad shoulders 
through. It has, as it were, a second upper lip, which forms over 
and protects the teeth, performing thus an office which the deep-cleft 
upper lip fails to do. Fur grey-black; chin, and breast, and under 
parts pale, washed on the first two with tawny. Some tawny-brown 
also occurs between the legs. This species does not appear to throw 
up hillocks like the European Moles do, but runs galleries close to 
the surface, casting up the earth over them in long, low, and loose 
lines, like those formed by the White Ants or Termites, only on a 
larger scale. 
VESPERTILIONID. 
The three or four species of this difficult family that I procured I 
must leave to the superior skill and learning of Mr. R. Tomes to 
distinguish. I wish merely to point out some facts regarding their 
natural economy which came under my observation. A species of 
Kerivoula, allied to K. picta and K. formosa, was brought to me by a 
