. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE WEST AFKICAX RIVER SHREW. the name of Sohnodon i>arwloxu>t, iii his " Nutui-al History of Cuba," which appeared iu 1851. Later, liowever, Professor Petere, having procured a specimen from Cuba, and compared it with the one from St. Domingo in the museum at St. Petei-sburg, found that the two animals were quite distinct, and described the Almiqui of Professor Poey under tlie name of Solenodon cubanus. The Cuban animal is of nearly the same size as that from St. Domingo, measuring in a straight line from the point of the
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE WEST AFKICAX RIVER SHREW. the name of Sohnodon i>arwloxu>t, iii his " Nutui-al History of Cuba," which appeared iu 1851. Later, liowever, Professor Petere, having procured a specimen from Cuba, and compared it with the one from St. Domingo in the museum at St. Petei-sburg, found that the two animals were quite distinct, and described the Almiqui of Professor Poey under tlie name of Solenodon cubanus. The Cuban animal is of nearly the same size as that from St. Domingo, measuring in a straight line from the point of the nose to tlie root of the tail a little more than eleven inches. Of this the head makes about 4| inches. The stout, scaly tail is 7^^ inches in length. The hau-s of the general surface of the body are very long, and form a sort of cloak for the animal, leaving its hinder part bare in a very singular manner. The colours are rather different in the Cuban species. The whole of the Lead, the neck, the chest, and the sides of the belly ai-e tawny or yellowish, and the rest of the body, a streak on the nape of the neck, and another in the middle of the belly, are brown or blackish-brown. The legs are clothed with hair like that on the body, but shorter ; and the upper surface of the feet has a scanty covering of short haii-s which allow the skin to appear through them, and even this ceases towards the extremities of the toes. The teats in both species are situated on the groin. The Cuban Soleiiouon is found in the mountains near Triiiidad and Bayamo, in the southern and western parts of the island of Cuba, It is a nocturnal animal, coming forth late in the afternoon or in the evening, and amusing itself with various gambols during the night. It appears to be a predaceous animal, and in captivity shows signs of great excitement when a fowl or other animal passes by its cage. According to one observer, it will tear a chicken to pieces in a moment with its strong claws. At siglit of a po
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