218 .T. Anderson — On the Suh- Genus Nesokia. [No. 4, 



garh, presented by the late Mr. Andrew Anderson, which yield skulls the 

 exact counterpai-t of the skull figured by Peters as Spalacomys indicus, 

 and these rats agree with the figure of A. indica^ and with the description of 

 NesoTcia Jiardwickii. Hodgson described, in 184J6, a rat from Nepal which 

 he called 3Ius Jiydropliilus* and which Gray first regarded as an Arvicola, 

 and afterwards as a Nesolcia, He described it as characterised by its small 

 ears, hardly above one-third the length of the head, also by its short tail 

 " and by its fine and short pelage : the head he described as larger and the 

 muzzle thicker than in the common land rats ; '■ above dusky brown ; below and 

 the limbs nearly white. Long piles inconspicuous. Snout to vent 3^ inches ; 

 tail2|- ; head \\ ; ears j% ; palm \ ; planta |-.' These characters would seem 

 to indicate a rat allied to the so-called Nesokia or Spalacomys, Peters, but 

 I hesitate to pronounce any decided opinion on the species. In connection 

 with the name of Tiydrophilus given by Hodgson to this rat, I have 

 observed that the common Nesokia of Lower Bengal, which I propose 

 to name Mus (N) hJytJiianus after Blyth, who did so much to forward 

 the progress of Natural History in India and to enlarge our knowledge 

 of this group, manifests a remarkable capacity, for a rat of its type, 

 to take to water, when hard-pressed. Its burrows are frequently con- 

 structed on the banks of tanks in Lower Bengal, and when the rats are 

 being dug oat, they will freely take to the water, if that is their only way 

 of escape, and swim considerable distances. To test this aquatic power, I had 

 two rats placed in a large wire bird-cage, and the cage partially submerged. 

 If the rats, when in those circumstances, were much annoyed, they immedi- 

 ately dived to the bottom of the cage, where they could be observed run- 

 ning about under water. I also had them removed from the cage, and let 

 loose in the large sheet of water in the Zoological Gardens, between the 

 two iron bridges. When let loose at the bank, and an attempt was made 

 to catch them, they immediately dived, and the stronger of the two did not 

 appear at the surface for some time, when it was observed at a consider- 

 able distance from the bank, making for the opposite side. 



I have already referred to the name given by Elliot to the allied form 

 from Madras, viz., M. providens. He records of it that it stores up large 

 quantities of grain during harvest. The natives of Bengal ascribe a similar 

 habit to M. (N) hlytJiianus, and it has been stated to me that sometimes 

 considerable quantities of grain may be found in a burrow, and that the 

 natives being aware of this habit make raids on these murine granaries. 



With reference to the characters of the genus Nesokia, Gray, the 

 examination of a large series of skulls of M. Jiardiuickii and of the other 

 species shows that the dental features selected by Gray are essentially 



* Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. Vol. XV, 1845, p. 267 ; Cat. Sp. and Draw. Mamm. 

 &c. Hodgson, Nepal, Coll. Brit. Museum, 1846, p. 19 ; I, c. 1863, new ed., p. 10. 



