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Show 1881.] INDIAN SPECIES OF MUS. 553 considering the large number of murine types common to the Ethiopian region and the peninsula of India. The only Indian species certainly belonging to this subgenus are the two following :- 17. Mus (LEGGADA) PLATYTHRIX. * Mus platythrix, Benn. P. Z. S. 1832, p. 121 (1832). Leggada platythrix, Gray, Charlesw. Mag. N. H. i. p. 586(1837). HaB. The peninsula of India, south of the Nerbudda. Fur above and below composed almost entirely of flattened spines. General colour sandy brown above, white below, the line of demarcation well-defined. Above, the hairs and spines are pale slate-coloured for about half their length; there is then a subtermihal ring of yellow, gradually darkening to the extreme tip, which is nearly black. Ears short, rounded, slate-coloured. Tail only the length of the body without the head; covered above with brown, and below with white hairs. Mammae 10, three pectoral and two inguinal pairs. Hind feet short, with six pads, which are all small and circular (Plate LI. fig. 12). The type, as is shown by the measurements given below, has a considerably longer tail than any other specimen that I have seen, but is otherwise similar to the rest. Skull with the anterior palatine foramina very long, extending to the middle of the first molar; anterior edge of the zygoma-root perpendicular. For measurements, see Table, p. 556. This species is a well-marked form, and cannot be confounded with any other. It always possesses the extra cusps to the front upper molars characteristic of the subgenus, while, as mentioned below, L. Buduga is frequently without them. Sir Walter Elliot (/. e.) has given a full account of its manner of life, which seems to be entirely that of a burrowing animal. The other Indian Leggada is far smaller, and has not by any means such a simple history, having been given several different names, as may be seen by the following synonymy. 18. Mus (LEGGADA) BUDUGA. * Leggada Booduga, Gray, Charlesw. Mag. N. H. i. p. 586 (1837). *Mus lepidus, Ell. Madr. Journ. Lit. & Sci. x. p. 216 (1839). Leggada lepida, Blvth, J. A. S. B. xxxii. p. 350 (1863). Mus terricolor, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xx. p. 172 (1851). Mus fulvidiventris et IM. alBidiventris, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxi. p. 351 (1852). *Mus Beavani, Peters, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 559 (1866). " Buduga " of the tank-diggers, fide Elliot /. c. HaB. Continental India, south of the Ganges and Indus, and Ceylon. . . . .. Fur rather short and crisp, sometimes mixed with very fine flattened spines, sometimes quite without them. Colour above pale P R O C ZOOL. S O C - 1 8 8 1 , N O . XXXVI. 36 |