Volume 2
Cyclopædia of India and of eastern and southern Asia, commercial, industrial and scientific : products of the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms, useful arts and manufactures / edited by Edward Balfour.
- Date:
- 1857
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Cyclopædia of India and of eastern and southern Asia, commercial, industrial and scientific : products of the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms, useful arts and manufactures / edited by Edward Balfour. Source: Wellcome Collection.
47/872 page 1243
![in. non MUEID/E. to the first section, that these divisions are purely artificial, and nearly formed to faci- litate the search among so many unarrang- ed groups, we find the following sections :— 1. Eats and Mice, under which are ar- ranged the following :—Arvicola, Lacep. (By vudaus, 111.) Example, Mus amphibius, Linn., Water-Eat, Penn.; Georychits, 111. (Lemmings). Example, Mus Norvegicus, Linn., the Lemming Echimys, Geoff. (Spined Eats). Ex. Echimys :ristutus, Desm., Gilt-Tailed Dormouse, Penn. Myoxes, Gm. (Dormouse). Ex. Mus avellanarius, Linn, the Common Dormouse. Bydromys 3eolf. (Water-Eat). Ex. H. leucogastor, Austra Mus, Auct. Ex. M. Battus, Linn., Com- Eat. Capromys, Desm. Ex. C. preliensilis south America. Gricetus, (Hamster). Ex. C. t>ul- raris, the Hamster. 2. Fore legs very short, hind legs long. Jumping '•lice, under which come the following genera and iubgenera :—Dipus (Jerboa). Ex. Mus Jaculus, jinn. (1). Sagitta, Dum.) Sub-genus Gerbillus, Jesm. Ex. M. Tamariscinus, Tamarisk Jerboa, 3h. Meriones, L. Cuv. Ex. Meriones Labra- dor ins, Sub-genus Pedetes, 111. Ex. M. Gaffer, -’all., Cape Jerboa, Penn. Then follows Lagosto- ius, Brookes, with its sub-genera Cldncilla and \ogotis. [CHINCHILLIDiE.] 3. Tail very short. Mole and Sand-Eats, in- luding Geomys, Schmaltz (Saud-Eat). Ex. reomys Douglasii, America. Diplostoma, ichmaltz, America : Aplodontia, Eichardson. Ex. f. leporina, America. Aspalax, Guld. Ex. Jus Typhlus,,Pall., Asia; Bathyergus, 111. Ex. I. maritimus. Gm., Africa. 4. Tail long, bushy. Squirrels, under which re arranged Arctomys, Gm. Ex. Mus Marmot- j, Linn., the Marmot. Spermophilus, F. Cuv. lx. M. cdellus, Pall., chiefly America. Sciurus uct. Lx. S. vulgaris, Linn., the Common Squir- :1; together with the sub-genus Pteromys,Geoff. id the genus Cheriromys. I he numerous forms hich pi ess upon the attention in considering ‘is large section of Mammala are enough to mvince any one who has bestowed any thought l the subject that authors have not spoken of the fficulties surrounding it without reason. General .ardwicke gives the following interesting account his I)ipus Indicus :—“ These animals are sry numerous about cultivated lands and irticularly destructive to wheat and barley ops, of which they lay up considerable hoards spacious burrows near the scenes of their nnder -They cut the culms of the ripening rn just beneath the ears, and convey them thus tire to one common subterraneous repository nch when filled they carefully close, and do not 'en for use till supplies abroad become distant d scarce. . Grain of all kinds is their favourite od; but in default of this they have recourse me roots oi grass and other vegetables. About e close of day they issue from their burrows, MUEIDiE. and traverse the plains in all directions to a con- siderable distance ; they run fast, but oftener leap, making bounds of four or five yards at a time, carrying the tail extended in a horizontal di- rection. When eating they sit on their hind legs like a squirrel, holding the food between their fore feet. They never appear by day, neither do they com- mit depredations within doors. I have observed their manners by night, in moonlight nights, taking my station on a plain, and remaining for some time with as little motion as possible. I was soon surrounded by hundreds at the distance of a few yards ; but on rising from my seat the whole disappeared in an instant, nor did they venture forth again for ten minutes after, and then with much caution and circumspection. “ A tribe of low Hindus, called Kunjers, whose occupation is hunting, go in quest of these ani- mals at proper seasons, to plunder their hoards of grains ; and often, within the space of twenty yards square, find as much corn in the ear as could be crammed into a common bushel. They inhabit dry situations, and are often found at the distance of some miles out of the reach of water to drink. In confinement this animal soon be- comes reconciled to its situation, and docile; sleeps much in the day, but when awake feeds as freely as by night. The Hindus above mentioned esteem them good and nutritious food.” (‘Linn. Trans.,’ vol. viii.). In the collection of the British Museum the student will find specimens of' nearly all the Asiatic Murida at present known. The following is a list of the species found in that collection, with the Asiatic countries in which the specimens were found :— Family Murida. a. Murina. Acanthomys Cahirinut, the Cairo Eat. Egypt. A. affinis, the Allied Acanthomys. Mus Bandicota (Bechstein), the Bandicoot or Pig-Eat. Nepaul. M. nitidus (Hodgson),the Shining Eat. Nepaul. M. gigas, the Egyptian Bandicoot. Egypt. M. decumanus (Pallas), the Norway Eat. Grearf Britain and India. M. Decumanoides (Hodgson), the Indian Eat Nepaul. M. Asiaticus (Gray), the Asiatic Eat. Mexico and India. M. niviventer (Hodgson), the White-Bellied Eat. Nepaul. M. Kok (Gray), the Kok. India. M. Abyssinicus (Euppell), the Abyssinian Eat. Abyssinia. M. Ellioti, Elliot’s Eat. Madras. M. ru/escens (Gray), the Eed House-Eat. India.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28708921_0002_0047.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
