444 
BLUEFIELDS. 
But besides these, there is a species much talked 
of as infesting sugar estates, and doing much damage 
by devouring the growing cane ; it is hence called 
the Cane-piece Bat. A single specimen has fallen 
under my observation, a male, which was brought 
me in February, from a plot of cane near Bluefields. 
It was manifestly a distinct species, as the descrip*- 
tion below will show*, easily distinguished by its 
with his opinion on some twenty or more skins of the Jamaican 
Muridce, brought home by me. The distribution of this ubiquitous 
group, whose members so closely resemble each other, and are yet so 
subject to individual variation, is peculiarly difficult ; but he thinks 
that the specimens may be distributed into four species, all of Old 
World origin : Mus rattus, decumanus, Jndicus (?) 'and musculus. 
The third of these is, perhaps, the most numerous ; it is very closely 
allied to M. rattus in form and proportions, with the brown, brin- 
dled hue of Indicus ; the belly is frequently, not invariably, of a de- 
licate pale yellow tint. Its long tail and slender feet distinguish it 
from decumanus. The Mouse is of a warmer hue than common spe- 
cimens of our musculus, being of an umber-brown above, and delicate 
pale bay beneath ; but Mr. Waterhouse sees no reason to distinguish 
it specifically. It is a house-mouse in Jamaica, as in Europe. 
I may mention a curious fact connected with the species supposed 
to be Indicus. A specimen, taken in a guinea-grass piece, was a 
male, but had been emasculated ; the wound was not quite healed, 
when it came into my possession. The Squirrels have been affirmed 
to perform this operation upon each other in their combats, but the 
statement has been explained away. There was, however, no mistake 
in the present case. 
All these four species are now distributed over the whole known 
world. 
* Mus saccharivorus, mihi. The Cane-piece Rat. Length from 
muzzle to base of tail, 9^ inches ; tail, 8 in. ; from nose to inner angle 
of eye, 1 in. ; from nose to orifice of ear, 2 in. : length of ear, ^ in. ; 
fore foot, hind foot, ; angle of muzzle, about 75°. Upper 
parts brindled umber-brown ; face, throat, breast, and belly, ash- 
colour, the tints separated sub -abruptly. Feet white ; tail thick, 
little hairy, greyish above, whitish beneath. Incisors ferruginous. 
