158 KATS AND PLAGUE. 
common occurrence and likely to prove of interest and im- 
portance to the practical epidemiologist’’ in Calcutta: these 
seem to consist of three species of true rats and one species of 
bandicoot-rat. The names of other species are noted but they 
are not considered to be .of any practical importance to the 
Indian worker and the little house-mouse goes into the same 
category. Itis pointed out that the Musk-rats or Musk-shrews 
(Crocidura murina and C. caerulea), “Tikus turi’”’ and 
““Chenchurot’ of Malays, are not rodents at all but insectivores, 
and though dwellers in cellars and drains do not appear sus- 
ceptibletoplague. Thedescriptions given are broad but probably 
sufficiently detailed for success in identification when the limit- 
ed number of species that are likely to come before the sanitary 
officer is borne is mind. 
Dr. Hossack’s next essay consists of an illustrated account 
of the rats of Calcutta. Though the author admits that he was 
an absolute tyro for whom it was difficult to discuss the present 
state of systematic zoology dealing with the subject, he never- 
theless ventures more than once to criticise the work of 
systematists. This is also the case with Captain Lloyd who is 
far from successful in his efforts in this direction. To criticise 
the validity of insular Malayan species as Dr. Hossack does 
is gratuitous, since they are a class of which he, a worker in a 
great land area, whose acquaintance with the Murine is very 
limited and admittedly recent, is entirely ignorant. 
It is perhaps unfortunate that both authors take for the 
basis of their work Mr. Oldfield Thomas’s then epoch-making 
—and still most valuable—paper of 1881 on the Indian species of 
the Genus Mus, “* not appreciating the fact that the increase 
of knowledgein the last quarter of a century has brought to 
light many new facts with the necessary result that a commen- 
surate alteration of opinion has taken place—a, state of affairs 
that Mr. Thomas would probably be the first to admit: for 
instance; he has recently divided Nesokia which he then 
regarded as only a sub-genus of Mus into three independent 
* Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for 1881, pp. 
521—557. 
Jour. Straits Branch 
