1839] in the Southern Mahratta Country. 



ttlf> 



Spiny Rats. 

 40.—Mu$ Platythrix, Sykes. 



Leggyade 1 



V of Wuddurs 



BalyelkaS TPgSbW^. 



Kjil Hei Canarese l m /&M)nn<® 



The leggyade has also been described by Mr. Bennet from Colonel 

 Sykes' specimen.* I had proposed to call it M. Saocicola as better 

 expressive ofits habits, and as being exactly equivalent to its native 

 name ; platythrix expressing- a generic rather than a specific character. 



It has the head long, the muzzle pointed, the ears rather large, ob- 

 long, rounded. Incisors yellow. Colour light brown, mixed with fawn j 

 beneath pure white; the white separated from the brown by well de- 

 fined pale fawn line. The flattened spines are transparent on the back, 

 beneath smaller, and forming with the fur a thick close covering. 

 The dimensions of an 



Adult Mile. do. Female. 



Length of body 3 _ 4 _. inch 3 inches 



2 



Total 5 -Jk 5 or nearly fy 



. — of head 1 T \ . 1 T \ 



« of ear „ 



■ of fore palm ... „ . : „ T \ 



■ of hind palm... „ -po 



Weight ... • • . 1 058. 15 drs. 



The leggyade lives entirely in the red gravelly soil, in a burrow of 

 moderate depth, generally in the side of a bank. When the animal is 

 inside the entrance is closed with small pebbles, a quantity of which 

 are coUected outside; by which its retreat may always be known. 

 The burrow leads to a chamber, in which is also collected a bed of 

 small pebbles, on which it sits, the thick close hair of the belly pro- 

 tecting it from the cold and asperity of such a seat. Its food appears 

 to be vegetable. In its habits it is monogamous and nocturnal. 



In one earth which I opened, and which did not seem to have been 

 originally constructed by the animal, but to have been excavated by 

 ants, I found two pairs; one of which were adults, the other young ones 



* Proceedings Zool. Soc. 26th June 1833. p. 121. 



