36 W. T. Blanford— Zoo logy of Si7c7cim. |> T o. 1, 



grey near the skin and for the greater part, folly two-thirds of their length ; 

 some have much thicker terminations of pale brown tipped with black on the 

 back. The longest hairs on the back are about three-fourths of an inch in 

 length. The sides are the same colour as the back, the breast is brown ; 

 muzzle, chin and belly whitish or isabelhne, the latter being browner in the 

 middle than towards the sides, but more conspicuously so in some specimens 

 than in others. Hah on the belly about one-third of an inch hi length. The 

 feet are pale isabelhne above, pinkish brown beneath ; ears oval, thinly haired 

 outside, except near the margin, where they are covered with very short close 

 rich brown hah, the edge itself being whitish. 



Mr. Hodgson, in his description of Lagomys Ourzoniee, says the fur is 

 of two sorts, woolly and hairy. I believe the fur is the same in all species 

 of Lagomys, and it is only so far of two sorts that some hairs have thick- 

 ened tips.* Under the microscope all the hairs are the same towards the 

 base, and appear to be cylindrical and colourless, with opaque granules at 

 short and nearly regular intervals. A small portion only of the hairs are 

 larger and have thickened tips which are not circular, but triangular, or 

 quadrangular, apparently with three or four rounded longitudinal grooves. 

 All the under fur is beautifully soft, but the terminations are harsher. 



The following are the dimensions of two apparently adult specimens, 

 taken from the bodies just after death. I unfortunately have not noted the 

 sexes, but there is very little if any difference between them in measure- 

 ments : — 



Inches. Inches. 



Length from nose to rump, 65 65 



Nose to between ears, 1*5 



Ear to nose, 1*5 



Eye to nose, 0*7 



Length of ear (measured behind the ear,) 0'7 0"8 



Breadth of do OS 



Hind foot from heel with claws, .' 1 - 1 1*2 



Tibia, .. 1-4 



Fore foot and claws, , 07 07 



Radius, , 10 



Longest whiskers, 1°7 



In a } r oung specimen 4 - 5 in. long, the hind foot from the heel measured 

 0*9, the fore foot 0'5, the ear 0'5. The intestines in a specimen nearly 9 

 inches long measured 50 inches, and the ccecum 8 inches. f 



* I find this _ is noticed by Ogilby in the description of Lagomys Eoylei, Boyle's 

 Illust. Bot., &c, p. Ixix. 



f This appears so much that I thought there must be a mistake in my note^ but 

 on measuring the intestines of a young specimen about 4 inches long in spirit, I 

 find they are 38 inches long, and all membranes contract greatly in spirit. 



