70 



of the head, from the tip of the nose to the base of the ear, one inch 

 and seven eighths; of the tail six inches and a quarter. The colour 

 above is reddish ochre, interspersed with white hairs, the posterior 

 half of the body being adorned with alternate black and white trans- 

 verse fascife, disposed in a manner somewhat similar to those of Thy- 

 lacinus cynocephalus. The under parts of the body are yellowish 

 white ; the anterior legs of the same colour on their inner sides, and 

 of a pale buff colour externally ; and the posterior legs of a pale 

 buff colour, with the fore part of the tibise whitish, and the sole en- 

 tirely bare. The hairs of the tail are mixed black, white and red- 

 dish ochre, each of these colours predominating in different parts. 

 The reddish hue of the fore part of the body is gradually blended 

 into the black, which is the prevailing colour of the posterior half, 

 and which is adorned with nine white fascise ; the first of these 

 fascifE (which is indistinct) commencing rather before the middle of 

 the body, and being, in common with the second, interrupted on the 

 back by the ground colour of the body ; the third, fourth, and last 

 extending uninterruptedly from side to side ; and the fifth, sixth, 

 seventh and eighth, extending over the back, passing without coming 

 into contact, and thus as it were dovetailing, with those of the op- 

 posite side. The hair on the head is very short and of a brownish 

 hue above, (being composed of a mixture of black and reddish-brown 

 ■with a few white hairs); and whitish beneath. The nose and lips 

 are blackish ; and there are a few long black hairs springing from 

 under the eyes and from the sides of the muzzle. The body is co- 

 vered with hair of two kinds ; the outer of which is moderately long, 

 rather coarse, and compact on the back and fore parts of the body ; 

 but over the haunches, and on the under surface, where the pouch 

 is situated in the Marsupials, the hair is long. The under fur is 

 short, fine and rather scanty. The tail is furnished throughout with 

 long hairs." 



In illustration of his paper Mr. Waterhouse exhibited the skin, 

 together with drawings of the animal, of its skull, and of its dentary 

 characters. 



The following notes of the dissection of a specimen of the Chilian 

 Bush Rat, Octodon Cumingii, Benn., by Mr. Martin, were read. 



" The individual examined was a male measuring in the length 

 of the head and body 7 inches : the tail was imperfect. 



" On removing the skin from the chest and abdomen, the shape of 

 the xiphoid cartilage was observed to be reniform. 



" The abdominal cavity being exposed, the order of the viscera 

 was as follows. Occupying its usual situation the liver extended 

 from side to side, while below its edge appeared a portiori of the 

 great curvature of the stomach, and also the pylorus emerging from 

 beneath its right lobes ; the duodenum passing from the pylorus 

 suddenly dipped down, crossed the upper end of both kidneys, and 

 then made a curve upwards and merged in the jejunum. The chief 

 portion of the abdominal cavity, of comparatively spacious volume, 

 ■was filled with the convolutions of the intestinal canal. 



