The Hijlory of ANIMAL S* 5 21 
It is a great breeder, and often will produce eight young ones at a time; it feeds on 
vegetables of all kinds, and it’s flefh is well-tafted, arid has much the flavour of pork» 
The authors who have written on quadrupeds have all named it. Ray calls it Mus 
five Cuniculus Guineenfls et Americanus Porcelli pilis et voce Cobaya Brafilien- 
flbus didtus. It is common to the Eafl and Well Indies, and lives very comfortably 
with us. 
Mus pilis rigidis , cauda brevi . 
The Mus y with rigid hairs , and a Jhort taih 
This is of the bignefs of the Guinea-pig, and in many refpedts greatly refembles it i 
the head is large; the eyes are prominent, very bright and black; the ears are broad* 
and very fhort: the head is, in the general form, like that of the rabbit, but the fnout 
is narrower and fharper, and the upper jaw is fomewhat longer than the under, as is 
the cafe in the hog-kind; the upper lip, however, is divided, as in the hare, and 
through this divifion are feen the teeth, which are long and fharp: the tail is very 
fhort and fmooth ; the legs alfo are fhort, and almoft naked, and the anterior ones are 
fhorter than the hinder. 
The fur is very thick and harfh ; the hairs of which it is compofed are fliff, rigid* 
and fhining, like thofe of the hog-kind 5 the colours are a mixture of brown and red- 
difh, with fome tinge of black. 
This is a native of South America j it is a very voracious animal, and holds it’s food 
in the fore-feet, as the lquirrel, fwallowing it with great quicknefs. When it is angry, 
it raifes the briftles on the back, and ftrikes the earth forcibly with it’s hinder legs; it 
is very fwift in running. Marcgrave calls it Aguti five Acuti Brafilienflbus 5 Ray, Mus 
fylveftris Americanus Cuniculi magnitudine, Porcelli pilis et voce. 
Mus fufcus cinereo maculatus ventre albente. 
The brown Mus , fpotted with grey , and with a white belly » 
Mt 
This is the largeft of all the Mus-kind 5 it is as big as a pig of a week old : the 
head is fhort, and the extremity or fnout fharp, in the manner of the former fpecies, 
and the upper jaw is a little longer than the under j the upper lip is divided, and the 
mouth is furnifhed with a kind of beard : the teeth are fharp ; the eyes are black and 
prominent ; the noftrils are large and patulous; the ears are fhort, naked, and fome¬ 
what obtufe. 
The body is thick and flefhy ; the legs are fhort, and the fore-ones moft fo : the 
fur is fhort, but the hairs of which it is compofed, are thick and harfh to, the touch i 
the back is of a dufky brown, or amber colour : the fides are very beautifully fpotted 
with grey ; the belly is white. 
It lives in the Eafl; Indies and South America, and in both is very frequent « the 
noife it makes is like that of a hog, and it ftrikes with the head in the manner of 
that animal, and raifes the briftles on the back, when angry, Marcgrave calls it 
Paca; Ray, Mus Braftlienfis magnus Porcelli pilis et voce. 
Mus dorfo fufco-nigricante , ventre albo , cor pore oblongo. 
The white-bellied Mus , with a blachjh back, and long 
body . 
%l)z 
ntotife. 
This is not fo thick in the body as the common rat, but it is longer, and approach¬ 
es, in fome degree, to the form of the weafel : the head is oblong, large at the up¬ 
per part, but very flender at the fnout } both the jaws are equal in length, and the 
upper lip is fplit as in the hare : the teeth are long, flender, and fharp j the eyes are 
6 R black 
