160 BOTANIC GARDENS MENAGERIE. 



live very happily together in one cage, so that they have a box 

 nest for each one to sleep in. These squirrels make large nests of 

 bastfibre, palmfibre etc., in the trees and are often troublesome 

 in pulling off the cocoanut husk used in fixing orchids on the trees 

 and throwing the orchid down on the ground. These nests 

 are usually placed in the boughs of a tree or among the 

 leaves of a pandanus, or sometimes low down among the 

 thorny leaves of a Bromelia. One nest was made on 

 the leaves beneath the office, and attention was called 

 to it, by the cries of the young squirrels which had 

 been attacked by an army of ants and had fallen from 

 the nest. One had died, the other was put into a cigar- 

 box up in a tree, where the mother squirrel had been heard 

 calling. She quickly came and got into the box, but went 

 away again. When however every one was gone from the 

 building and all was quiet she returned and carried off the 

 young one. 



B hizomys swnatrensis. 



The Bamboo rat has often been kept, and lives well, but 

 as it can bite its way through most things requires an iron 

 cage. Two lived for a long time in a wooden box lined with 

 tin but eventually bit their way through the bottom, and nearly 

 through the wooden floor before they were found out. One or 

 two escaped and lived in clumps of bamboo for some time. 

 They eat rice, nuts and such food, and also are fond of 

 bamboo shoots to gnaw. The bamboo rat has a curious 

 way of sleeping on its back which gives it the appearance 

 of being dead. 



Hystrix longicauda. 



The Porcupine, is still common in Singapore, and is very 

 easily kept as a pet, eating sweet potatoes, tapioca etc., and 

 some I have seen had a great liking for bones which they 

 nibbled up. It is readily tamed and lives well in captivity. 

 An albino, quite white with pink eyes was purchased some 

 years ago, with it was a young one, normally colored. The 

 young one was still sucking the mother though quite a large 



Jour. Straits Branch 



