338 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



Page 156. — Order Rodentia. — Mus decumanus, the com- 

 mon brown Rat, is described as a " resident destructive " 

 of those islands. And Mus rattus, the black Rat of 

 Europe, is likewise mentioned as being so scarce " that it 

 may be almost said to be extinct." 



Then follows Mus tectorum, the Tree Rat of Savi. This 

 native Rat came under my observation on one occasion 

 only, during a long residence in the Bermudas. In the early 

 part of 1850 I removed from my place of residence to a 

 cottage on the western limit of the town of Hamilton. 

 The cottage stood upon three acres of ground, and con- 

 sisted of a ground floor only. My family had scarcely 

 settled down in their new abode when the scamper of a 

 rat was heard again and again on the ceiling above. The 

 animal was soon captured with a common gin. It proved 

 to be unlike anything I had previously met with in Ber- 

 muda or elsewhere, being somewhat less in size than the 

 brown Rat, and more delicately formed. Its colour was 

 bright bay or light chestnut on the upper portion of the 

 body, and pure white on the belly and under parts. 



Never having heard of the existence of a Tree Rat, I 

 was bewildered with the appearance of my capture ; and, 

 under the impression that it might possibly be a variety of 

 the common Rat, I made a note to that effect. 



This event took place four years prior to my friend, J. 

 M. Jones's first visit to Bermuda. I am, therefore, very 

 pleased that he has enabled rne to identify my white-bellied 

 specimen with Mus tectorum of the Smithsonian Mammals 

 of Bermuda. The nest of this Rat I have never seen. 



In reference to Mus rattus, the black Rat, mentioned by 

 Jones as being all but extinct in the Bermudas, I may here 

 observe that such was not the case thirty years ago, having 

 destroyed many of them in my own house ; and, on one 

 occasion, killed three at a single shot. 



