86 Fauna Jtalica. 



pellation the poor animal most probably does not deserve. Its name 

 drawn from antiquity would have been more appropriate in every 

 respect — why not Talpa aspalax or Talpa Aristotelis ? 



The habitat is probably the same as that of the C. melanogaster, 

 but is not yet exactly ascertained. 



In the third number we have a species of rat, which in Italy re- 

 presents the Mus rattus, the old English rat, now so nearly extinct. 

 Neither species are indigenous in their respective countries, nor of 

 long standing, although their origin and time of introduction are 

 not certainly known. Like the black rat its territories have been 

 invaded by the Mus decumanus (our common rat), but, being stronger 

 and more courageous than its congener, it has escaped extermination 

 by that ruthless race. In many places they occupy the same ground, 

 but are at all times in a state of determined hostility. The Italian 

 species differs from M. decumanus in the length of the tail, which 

 is greater than that of the head and body together, and from M. 

 rattus with which it has that characteristic in common, in colour 

 and other particulars. It would appear to resemble the M. Alex- 

 andrinus of GeofFroy, an Egyptian species, but the Prince has never 

 been able to compare them together. We owe the separation of 

 this species from that of M. rattus, with which it had always been 

 confounded, to Professor Savi. The name of M. tectorum, equi- 

 valent to that of the trivial one in Tuscany, has been assigned to it, 

 from its living a good deal about the roofs of the houses. It sallies 

 into the gardens during a part of the year, and in general, haunts dry 

 situations, differing from the M. decumanus, to which every one wet 

 or dry seems alike indifferent. 



The region inhabited by it seems to be that south of the Apen- 

 nines, the M. rattus occupying the plain of Lombardy and circum- 

 jacent countries. The origin is unknown, as before mentioned, and 

 its introduction modern. The ancients appear only to have been ac- 

 quainted with the common mouse (Mus musculus) ; but we have 

 no doubt, it, has with so much of good and evil been imported from 

 the East. 



In a subsequent number we have an account of the Arvicolee, field 

 rats and mice, which are properly separated from the Mures, or those 

 addicted to living in or about habitations. 



The Mus terrestris of Linnaeus, Arvicola terrestris of our author, 

 which was supposed to be principally confined to the neighbourhood 

 of Strasburg, is common in many parts of Italy, especially near Gros- 

 seto, a district in the maremme of Tuscany, which was an almost 

 uninhabitable marsh until very lately, when extensive drainage has 



