T H E T A P O A T A F A , or T A P H A .
This animal'is*. .The j&zes'ó f'a .-rat, and, has-very much
the.appearance óf:the:'martin, ca t,.but hardly fo long in thé
body in proportion- to, its fize. *
'The head 'is flat forwards, and abroad from-fide to fide,
efpecially between theeyesand'ears the nofej is peaked, and
projecSrrygvbeyonjdi?; th e . te e tlv whichÏ makes- - thé uppé# 'jaw
appfear to sbe ^coh^derabjy'donger’thhn • the (lëtfyér; the eyes
afe ;preftyv large $Ithe; ears broad, efpecially at their“ bafe, not
becoming regularly narrower /to /a /point,:nor-. with: a' very
fmdoth édge^t and having ar.Xmalh procefs on the-éëncave, or
inner iurface, near! to the baffe. It has loh§-\vhiflcers from the
fides of.the cheeks, which begin forwardsf,-near-the n’ofe, by
final 1 and fliort hairs, and."become longer and- ftrbnger as'they
approach the eyes.; If. has very, much the hair*of*Ja-rat, to
Ayhich.it is fimilay/in colour ;' but near to thé fétfing on of
tfie tail, it is of a lighter' brown;' forming a broad*ring round
it. The forefeet are-Thortêr than the hind, but much in
the farrie proportion *as; tfiofe of the rat ; the hindf feet are
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