784 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV. 



same size as that of Bunguran Island [Szis natunen.ns] , the males weighing about 90 

 pounds. I am almost sure that it has been introduced long ago into the Nicobars, and that it 

 was originally Sus cristatus of the mainland, degenerating as the result of insularity and 

 inbreeding. The Danes and others have had settlements on the Nicobars in the last century, 

 and an extensive trade with India and with Chinese junks from Hainan. This trade has 

 been going on for generations, and the modern big pig is the result of the new introductions 

 mixed more or less with the small form. In Great and Little Nicobar many rf the tame 

 pigs are precisely like the skin of the wild one which 1 send, and although the tame animals 

 are usually larger they never equal the size of the huge European pigs of Ear Nicobar and 

 the islands of the central group. 



Whatever may have been the history of the animal, there can be little 

 doubt that it is now a distinct species, I am inclined to believe that it was 

 introduced by human agency, but at a time far anterior to the establishment 

 of European trade. 



Genus MUS Linn^us, 

 Three species of Mus have been recorded from the Andaman Islands, Mus 

 mtisculus and 3Ius andamanensis by Blyth, and Mus bowers? by Blanford. Only 

 the second of these was certainly obtained by Dr. Abbott, though it is pro- 

 bable that the animal here described as Mus taciturnus is the Mus howersi of 

 Blanford, From the Nicobars the only rat hitherto known is the Mus palma- 

 rum of Zelebor. This was regarded by Blanford as identical with Mus 

 rattus. Dr, Abbott did not meet with it. On the other hand he secured six 

 species in the Andamans and five in the Nicobars, raising the total number 

 known from the islands to twelve, 



Mus STOicus, new species, 

 TV^e.— Adult male (skin and skull) No. 111834, U, S. N, M, Collected on 

 Henry Lawrence Island, Andamans, January 9, 1901, by Dr. W. L, Abbott. 

 Orginal number, 820. 



Characters. — A large, heavily built rat, bearing a general likeness to Mus 

 validus and Mus ]jalmarum. Tail considerably shorter than head and body, 

 unicolor. Fur of back moderately spinous. Under parts bluish gray. Mam- 

 m£B apparently ten. Skull as long as that of Mus validus, hyxi \eYy slender. 

 Teeth with normal enamel pattern, the length of upper molar series (alveoli) 

 in adults leas than half diastema. 



Fur. — ^Under fur rather scant, much less dense than in Mus validus or Mus 

 norvegicus, but not peculiar in quality ; it is most abundant on flanks and lumbar 

 region. Main body of fur composed of two elements, soft terete hairs and 

 stiff grooved bristles. On middle of back these are about 15 mm. in length, but 

 the hairs usually a little exceed the bristles. Width of bristles on back about 

 33 mm. On under parts they become much more slender and are scarcely to be 

 distinguished from the terete hairs. The bristles are numerous on middle of 

 back and on sides, but are practically absent from rump and from region in 

 front of shoulders. The back is rather plentifully sprinkled with coarse, terete 

 hairs about 50 mm. in length, but these are not sufficiently numerous to 

 influence the general appearance of the fur. Whiskers coarse, the longest 70 

 mm, iu length. Supraorbital bristle about 10 mm. less. 



