"Last login" message

[Richard Mahlerwein]

> Subject: "Last login" message
> 
> When I ssh to my FreeBSD machine, I get something like
> this:
> 
> Last login: Thu Dec  3 15:12:40 2009 from 11.22.33.44
> Copyright (c) 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993,
> 1994
>         The Regents of the University
> of California.  All rights reserved.
> 
> FreeBSD 7.1-RELEASE-p9 (DAFFY) #0: Thu Dec  3 11:33:28
> PST 2009
>
> ..where "11.22.33.44" is an IP address.  However,
> sometimes, in place
> of an IP address I get a truncated hostname, for example
> "daffy.nerius.co" (note the last 'm' missing).
> I was wondering what controls this, meaning if I get an IP
> or a
> hostname, and why it's being truncated.

Just a thought - could the truncation be to the length of a full-length IPV4 address... 
011.022.033.044
daffy.nerius.co

They seem to match in length.