THE DAESMAN. 



353 



It seems, however, that it is really allied to the latter group of animals, and it is therefore 

 placed in the position which it at present holds in zoological catalogues. The fur of the Agouta 

 is long, harsh, and coarse in texture, and its color is an undecided red, tinged with yellow. 

 The nose is extremely elongated, like that of the shrews, and strengthened at its base by a 

 slender bone, so that it appears to be intended for the purpose of digging in the earth like 

 those animals. The nostrils are placed at the extremity of the snout, and are divided from 

 each other by a distinct furrow. The cheeks and lips are decorated with whisker-hairs of 

 very great length ; the eyes are very small ; the ears are moderate in size, and rounded, and 

 almost devoid of hairy covering. All the feet are terminated with five toes, and the long claws 

 are curved, rather compressed, and evidently fitted for the purpose of sex-aping at the soil. 



The tail is moderately long, measuring about nine inches in length, and is rounded through- 

 out its length, remainder of the head and body being rather more than a foot long. It is not 

 covered with hair, but is rather naked, 

 and for the greater part of its length is 

 scaly. The lower jaw is rather shorter 

 than the upper. 



The teeth of the Agouta are very 

 remarkable, both for their arrangement 

 and their form, but are very difficult to 

 describe. The two middle incisors of the 

 upper jaw are extremely large, almost 

 triangular in form, and are separated 

 from the small lateral incisors by a con- 

 siderable interval. The most singular 

 part of the dentition is, however, found 

 in the incisors of the lower jaw, of which 

 Van der Hoeven speaks as follows : — 

 ' ' The two middle incisors of the lower 

 jaw are small, narrow, placed between 

 two long conical, hollowed on the inside 

 by a deep groove; the second grooved 

 incisor of the lower jaw distinguishes this 

 genus from all the others of which the 

 dental system is known hitherto." — 

 Handbook of Zoology, vol. ii. p. 727. 



The dentition of the Agouta would 

 seem to indicate that the creature was 

 insectivorous in its diet, but Mr. Hearne, 



who jjossessed one of these animals in a living state, remarks that its food is chiefly grain, 

 although it is also capable of eating animal food. In general appearance the Agouta somewhat 

 resembles the barn-rat of England, and might easily be mistaken for that animal if seen 

 while in motion, and for a short time only. There is supposed to be but one species of this 

 curious genus. The generic name, Solenodon, is of Greek origin, and signifies channel- 

 toothed. 



Although the water shrew has earned for itself its aquatic title, it is not nearly so 

 constant an inhabitant of the water as the Daesman" or Desman, an animal whose very form is 

 sufficient to stamp it as a creature that lives almost exclusively in the water. A casual glance 

 at the external formation of the Daesman will at once pronounce the animal to be made for 

 swimming and diving, and its admirable adaptation for aquatic evolutions is more evident as 

 the structure of the creature is more closely examined. 



DAESMAN.— Galemys pyrenaica. 



A vert remarkable animal now comes before us, the Bulau, Tikus, or Gymnura, as it is 

 indifferently termed. 



