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-kan-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 T. 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 5j\> inches ; 

 tail ^ inch, with a few long whitish hairs, chiefly at the end ; length 

 of hand -^(y inch ; breadth of hand -^ 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 a.live, and placed it on the table. It shufiled 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 



