OCR Text |
Show 1882.] MR. O. THOMAS ON RODENTS FROM PERU. 103 grizzled with dark greyish yellow. Belly white, the basal halves of the hairs, however, both above and below, dark slate-colour. The back- and belly-colours rather sharply separated. Feet greyish white. Tail brown above and white below, the latter colour, however, gradually becoming darker, so that the distal half of the tail is nearly uniform. Foot-pads prominent; soles naked, proximal halves quite smooth, distal halves coarsely granulated. Fifth hind toes, without claws, only reaching just to the end of the fourth metatarsals. Ears with a projection on the anterior border1. Skull with well-marked supraorbital ridges. " These Rats created great havoc among the stores of maize under the roof of the house. After a time they multiplied to such an extent that I caught 14 in one night. This species also did considerable damage in the plantations of cocoa, gnawing holes in the skins of the fruit, and eating the contents." 5. HESPEROMYS (CALOMYS) ALBIGULARIS, Tomes, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 264. «. Cutervo, 9200', Feb. or Mar. 1879. b-f Tambillo, 5800', Feb. 1878. g. Callacate, 4800', Apr. 1879. h. Huambo, 3700', Apr. and M a y 1880. Head and body. a. 3 . . 5*0 b. <$ . . 5*1 c. 2 • • 4*9 Tail. 6-2 6-6 6-5 Hind foot. 1*24 1*3 1*24 Forearm and hand. 1*48 1*56 1*46 Ear-conch, length. •69 •70 •72 Muzzle to ear. 1-25 1-28 1*24 To this species I refer eight of the specimens, from various localities. As M r . Tomes's account was drawn up from skins, the following description may be useful:- Fur long, soft and fine, with a few longer black hairs intermixed. General colour above deep rufous, becoming clearer on the sides, and passing gradually into pale rufous on the belly. Basal two thirds of the hairs dark slate-colour all over the body, except that in some of the specimens there is a pure white blotch just between the fore legs, a peculiarity which suggested Mr. Tomes's name for the species. Anterior half of the outer and posterior half of the inner sides of the ears thinly covered with black hairs, the remainder nearly naked. Feet white, with the exception of the metacarpals and metatarsals, on which there are a few brown hairs intermixed. Tail very long and slender, above brown and beneath white for its whole length, the two colours rather sharply separated. Anterior border of ears without any projection. Mammae 8, two pectoral and two inguinal pairs. Soles naked, foot-pads large and prominent, fifth hind toes, without claws, reaching to the middle of the first phalanx of the fourth toes. It will be seen that the above description does not quite agree with that of Mr. Tomes; but I do not think that the differences are of 1 See P. Z.S. 1881, p. 4. |