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SECTION I.
DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF THE BANDICOOT Mus (Nesokia) Giganteus.
The Mus (Nesokia) Giganteus, according to Sterndale,* is known as the Bandicoot (Jerdon's
No. 174). The native names are Indur Sanscrit; Ghunse Hindi; Ikria Bengali; Heggin Canarese;
Pandi-koku, i.e., pig rat, Telegu; Oora-Meyoo Singhalese. Its habitat is throughout India and
Ceylon.
Description.—Fur coarse, consisting of the three kinds, of which the coarser piles are very long,
and almost hide the general pilage on the lumbar and dorsal regions. These piles are almost absent on
the head, neck and sides; general colour earthy brown, with yellowish hairs intermixed; the piles
blackish-brown; under-parts dusky brown, mixed with grey ; limbs brownish; nose, inside of ear
and feet flesh coloured; tail black, ringed, and sparsely haired. The female has twelve mammæ. Size—
head and body from 12 to 15 inches ; tail from 11 to 13, weight about 3 lbs. "This is a well known
rat, but it is not common in Calcutta, although supposed to be so. People frequently mistake very
large specimens of the common brown house rat (Mus decumanus) for this animal, which, Blyth remarks,
is rare here. Jerdon states that it is common in the fort of Madras, where he killed many, some of
large size ; when assailed it grunts like a pig, hence its Telegu name Pandi-koku, from which the word
Bandicoot is derived. McMaster states that the Bandicoot, though so formidable in appearance, does not
show so good a fight as an ordinary English rat, being a sluggish and cowardly animal; and though
from its size and weight it takes a good deal of worrying, it seldom does much in self-defence,
and any moderately good dog can kill it with ease. It is, however, a most destructive animal, doing
much damage to grainaries, gardens and even poultry-yards. In some parts of the country, as for
instance Fort St. George in Madras, Government used to pay a reward of one anna for every Bandicoot
killed within the walls.
SECTION II.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE.
The only reference of any kind appears to be the following from Vandyke Carter's observation. He
states: "A few examples examined of Mus Banlicottus and of Sorex species (also of mice) gave nega-
tive results."
When examining the blood of rats in 1892 in Poona, it appeared probable to us that as Bandicoots
are so difficult to distinguish when young from rats (Mus decumanus), and as they appear to live under
very similar conditions and are foul feeders, in all probability the hæmatozoon would also find in their
circulation a suitable habitat to thrive in.
There is no doubt that on the island of Bombay Bandicoots were, some few years ago, very
numerous, especially in the native city. It was the exception, when driving through that quarter during
the day, not to come across one or two running along the sewage channels from one shelter to another,
although the streets at the time were crowded with pedestrians and general traffic. In the evenings,
during the season for the exportation of grain from the Docks, the G. I. P. Railway station-
yard, near to the stacked sacks of grains, was simply alive with Bandicoots of all ages and sizes, and it
can be readily imagined the amount of damage such animals would do to the wheat in one night. In
Poona also large numbers were to be found, but not by any means easy to catch alive ; for specially large
traps were required and even then, as in the case of rats, none would enter the trap after others had
been caught in it, until the trap had been thoroughly cleaned and scalded with boiling water.
SECTION III.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS REGARDING THE HÆMATOZOON IN THE BLOOD OF BANDICOOTS.
As perhaps the statistics collected concerning these animals may be of use in the future, we give
the account in full, together with the ratio of spleen to body-weight, in a few cases towards the end of
the list; the ratio of liver to body-weight is also added.
* Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon, Calcutta, Thacker, Spink & Co., 1884, p. 319.