1/2 Report on the Mammalia and more remarkable [No. 2. 



The skulls of H. bengalensis and H. zeylonensis remain to be 

 examined and compared with those of II. Hodgsonii and H. longi- 

 cauda ; for to the latter, and not to the two great Porcupines, these 

 two small crested species are more immediately affined. The want of 

 crest is accordingly no distinction of Acanthion from Hystrix, as 

 Mr. Gray would separate them ; but the absence of the two great la- 

 teral masses of very long slender quills, impending the others and even 

 the tail in the two large species, affords a better external distinction. 

 We follow Mr. Waterhouse and others, however, in assigning the 

 whole to Hystrix, as now limited. 



Leporid^. The Hare of Ceylon is Lepus nigricollis, F. Cuv. 

 (L. melanauchen, Tern.), identical with the species of peninsular India, 

 Java, and the Mauritius, from each of which regions the Society 

 possesses a specimen.* 



* The Hare of Bengal and all Upper India is L. ruficaudatus, Is. Geoffroy ; 

 Mr. Waterhouse erroneously supposing L. nigricollis, F. Cuv., to be the Hare 

 of Bengal. We know but of twelve species of RODENTIA in all Lower Bengal, 

 which are as follow : — 1. Sciurus palmarum. — 2. Gerbillus indicus : — 3. 

 Mus indicus, Geoffroy (M. Jcok, Gray); common field Rat. — 4. M. terricolor, 

 nobis; common field and garden Mouse. — 5. M. bandicota, in marshy locali- 

 ties. — 6. M. decumanus. — 7. M. rattus, observed only among the shipping in 

 the river. — 8. M. flavescens, chiefly in cocoa-nut trees and about bamboos. — 

 9. M. nemoralis, trees. — 10. M. Manei, Gray; domestic Mouse. — 11. Hys- 

 trix bengalensis. — 12. Lepus ruficaudatus. 



We suspect that Mus oleraceus, Sykes, is also a Bengal animal ; and the 

 Society possesses a specimen from Asam quite similar to others from S. India. M. 

 dumeticola and M. povensis, Hodgson, require to be carefully compared with it. 



M. terricolor, nobis, must be closely affined to M. CERVicoLORand M. stro- 

 phiatus, Hodgson. Mr. Elliot sent it from S. India together with M. lepidus, 

 from which he did not distinguish it. Indeed it much resembles that species in 

 form and colour, but the face is very much shorter, and the fur short, soft, and 

 not spinous in the least degree. Its colour varies, however, according to the soil ; 

 tliose of the alluvium of the Ganges being darker than specimens from the ferru- 

 ginous soil to the westward. All have the under-parts white, abruptly separated 

 from the hue of the upper-parts, as in the various affined species. Length 2\ in. ; 

 of tail 2^ in. ; ears \ in. ; hind-foot -^ in. Inhabits gardens, and is very numerous 

 in the open fields; together with Gerbillus indicus and Mus indicus. 



M. Manei, Gray, who refers to this the M. musculus apud Elliot, is conse- 

 quently the common house Mouse of India generally, which differs from M. mus- 

 culus in having a longer tail, and shorter fur which is not so dark in colour. 



