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Show 1882.] MR. 0. THOMAS ON RODENTS FROM PERU. 107 9. HESPEROMYS (RHIPIDOMYS) PYRRHORHINUS, Pr. Max. Abbildungen, Taf. 27 (1822-26); Beitr. ii. p. 422 (1826). Mus mystacalis, Lund, Blik p. Bras. Dyrev. iii. p. 279 (1841). H. leucodactylus1, Natt., Wagn. Wiegm. Archiv, xi. 1, p. 147 Tschudi) (1845) ; Munch. Abhandl. v. p. 310 (1850). fiT. macrurus, Gerv. Casteln. Amer. du Sud, Mamm. p. 3, pl. fig. 1 (1855). fl, b. Tambillo, 5800', February 1878. Head and Forearm Ear-conch, Muzzle body. Tail. Hind foot, and hand. length. to ear. a. $.. 5*8 7'7 1*2 1*55 71 1'3 b. $.. 4*9 6*8 1*13 1*4 70 1*19 The following is a description of the two specimens in the collection :- Fur long and very soft, not mixed with longer harsher hairs. General colour above rich rufous, quite hiding the dark slate-coloured bases of the hairs. Head similar but paler. Belly-hairs half slate-colour, half pure white. Ears covered with short black hairs. Whiskers black. Fore feet with the metacarpals brown and the digits white. Hind feet with the metatarsals pale orange-coloured and the digits brown. Tail very long, the basal half inch covered with the red-tipped body-hairs, the remainder uniformly dark brown above and below, the hairs, which are black, forming rather less of a pencil than usual. Ears without a projection on the anterior edge. Feet rather long for the subgenus, though shorter than in ordinary Hesperomyes. Foot-pads large, smooth and rounded. Fifth hind toes as in II. leucodactylus. Mammae 6, one pectoral, and two inguinal pairs. Incisors both above and below orange-coloured, broader than in other Rhipidomyes. It will be seen that there are certain discrepancies between the above and the original description. The true H. pyrrhorhinus is said to have a reddish-yellow back and a pure white belly, as also has a specimen from Bahia, probably the type, of H. macrurus, Gerv., in the British Museum. The original specimens of H. pyrrhorhinus, moreover, were also obtained in Bahia, on the eastern side of South America. However, without knowing more of the forms inhabiting the intermediate country, I do not care to describe M . Stolzmann's specimens as new. " Lives in trees." These last two species belong to a very distinct subgenus. Its chief characters may be thus expressed:-Form Dormouse-like. Tail long, with the hairs generally forming a pencil at the tip. Feet short and broad; the foot-pads large, smooth and rounded, but not standing up much above the sole, evidently adapted for climbing. 1 Burmeister (Republ. Argent, p. 223) refers this name to H. angouya, Desm.; but, judging from Wagner's descriptions, I think there can be no doubt that it is the present species. He distinctly refers to the pencil of longer hairs at the tip of the tail, which is quite absent in H. angouya. |