

THE SKULL-CAPS OE LOFHIOMYS. One of the strangest Rodents ever captured was taken in 1865 to the Jardin d' Acclimation in Paris. The 



long mane along the middle of the back and the tail was found to be erectile like a boar's, and the Greek name " Lophiomys," signifying " a mouse with boar's 

 bristles, " was given it, and a separate family (Lophiomyida) was created for it It is, however, closely allied to the Mouse family. The muzzle of the rather 

 small head is brown and adorned with long whisker hairs, and the general color of the animal is a dark gray, but there are white stripes on the sides and on the 

 forehead. The inner toe of each hind foot is opposable, like a human thumb, and the paw is thus converted into a prehensile hand, which the animal freely 

 uses in climbing. After the first specimen was taken to Paris no other was seen in Europe until 1893, when one was secured by the Museum at Stuttgart. 

 i.Lofhiomys im/iausii.) 



'307) 



