330 ON A QUADRUPED. 



On a Quadruped, belonging to the order Ttodentia, 

 by Thomas S.\y. Road Nov. 5, 1832. 



In the valuable collection of the Philadelphia mu- 

 seum, there is the prepared skin of a mammiferous 

 quadruped, exhibiting at first view the appearance of 

 a gigantic rat, somewhat larger than a rabbit, and 

 known in that institution by the name of long-tailed 

 Cavy ; a designation founded upon the belief of its 

 being either the Ghloromys acuchi, or an undescribed 

 analogous species. 



It was brought to the museum more than twenty 

 years ago, either from South America or one of the 

 West Indian islands, and from that period to the pre- 

 sent it has been open to the inspection of the curious. 



More recently a living specimen of the same ani- 

 mal was presented to the museum, which afforded the 

 proprietors an opportunity of becoming acquainted 

 with the habits of the species in a state of domesti- 

 cation. 



According to the observations of Mr. F. Peale, it 

 was lively and active, and would climb trees with 

 much agility. Almost any kind of vegetable food 

 appeared to be grateful to its palate, but meat was al- 

 ways promptly rejected. Inoffensive in its ordinary 

 demeanour, and evincing no disposition to escape, its 

 boundaries were only limited by the walls of the mu- 

 seum, and it was permitted to rove freely through, 

 the apartments. It retreated from the too near ap- 

 proach of strangers, but at the same time evinced a 

 degree of gratitude towards the hand from which it 



