SYRIAN IIYRAX. £23 



for mustachoes, the length of which are three 

 inches and five eighths, and those of his eye- 

 brows two inches and two eighths. He has no 

 tail, and gives at first sight the idea of a rat, ra- 

 ther than of any other creature. His colour is a 

 grey mixed with a reddish brown, perfectly like 

 the wild or warren rabbet. His belly is white, 

 from the point of the lower jaw, to where his tail 

 would begin, if that he had one. All over his 

 body he has scattered hairs^ strong and polished 

 like his mustachoes ; these are for the most part 

 two inches and a quarter in length. His ears are 

 round, not pointed. He makes no noise that 

 ever I heard, but certainly chews the cud ^. To 

 discover this was the principal reason of my keep- 

 ing him alive : those with whom he is acquainted 

 he follows with great assiduity. The arrival of 

 any living creature, even of a bird, makes him 

 seek for a hiding-place ; and I shut him up in a 

 cage with a small chicken, after omitting to feed 

 him a whole day : the next morning the chicken 

 was unhurt, though the Ashkoko came to me 

 with great signs of having sufiered with hunger. 

 I likewise made a second experiment, by inclosing 

 two smaller birds with him for the space of several 

 weeks : neither were these hurt, though both of 

 them fed, without impediment, of the meat that 

 was thrown into his cage, and the smallest of 



* This particular seems very doubtful, and may probably be 

 owing to the peculiar motions of the mouth, resembling those of 

 the hare, which has also been supposed by some to ruminate. 



