THE OTHER BEASTS 355 



In West and Central Africa several species of beasts 

 have been found which closely resemble flying squirrels, 

 but have a number of large overlapping homy scales 

 placed beneath the tail. On this account the name 

 Anomalurus has been given them. 



Those beautiful little animals, the dormice, come near 

 the squirrels. They are unrepresented in America, but 

 have existed in Europe from the time of the Upper 

 Eocene. There also may be mentioned a curious animal 

 from "West Africa called Lophiomys, which has, from its 

 coloration, somewhat the appearance of a skunk. It is 

 remarkable for having a great toe which can be opposed 

 to the digits of the foot, and for having an outgrowth 

 from the bones of the head, extending over the side of 

 the face (beneath the skin) and forming a sort of double- 

 walled skull, there, as in some frogs.* 



The very numerous family of rats and mice may be 

 exemplified by that very beautiful little European animal 

 the harvest mouse, the head and body of which scarcely 

 exceed 2^ inches in length. It is very elegant in shape, 

 of a reddish brown colour above, and the under parts 

 pure white. It builds a round nest, about the size of a 

 cricket ball, often attached to the stalks of wheat, and 

 formed of dry grass. 



The ancient common rat of England, the black rat, 

 has been almost exterminated by the brown rat, which 

 seems to have come into England in the sixteenth 

 century, the mouse and rat genus is the richest in 

 species of any mammalian genus. 



There are one hundred and thirty different kinds, some 



or other of which are found in all parts of the Old World 



save Madagascar. There are none, however, which are 



naturally inhabitants of America. There, nevertheless, 



* See ante, y. 121. 



