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Show 104 MR. O. THOMAS ON RODENTS FROM I'ERU. [Jail. 17, sufficient importance to justify me in describing our specimens as new without seeing Mr. Tomes's type. This species, as represented by the specimens before me, is very like the European Mus sylvaticus, L., in general appearance, though it is considerably larger. Its nearest ally seems to be H. longicaudatus, Benn., which, however, differs from it by its much smaller size and by its quite uniform brown or black tail. As all the eight specimens of II. albigularis in the collection possess the same bicolor tail, it would seem to show that it is as constant a character among the New-world Hesperomyes as I have found it to be among the true Old-world Mures. H. vulpinoides, Schinz1, a species of about the same size, has a quite unicolor tail. This latter, moreover, comes from the eastern side of S. America, the types having been collected in the province of Minas Geraes. 6. HESPEROMYS (CALOMYS) LONGICAUDATUS, Benn. a-f. Huambo, 3700', April and May 1880. fl. b. c. d. 2 2 2 $ Head and body. .. 3*25 .. 3*25 .. 3*30 ,. 2*90 Tail. 5*0 5*4 5*4 4*8 Hind foot. •89 •90 •90 •89 Forearm and hand. •95 •98 •98 - Ear-conch, length. •45 •50 •55 •52 Muzzle to ear. •79 •84 •85 •78 This species seems to be the common Mouse of the whole of central S. America, as the Museum series contains specimens from Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chili, Buenos Ayres, Paraguay, Minas Geraes, and Bahia, thus covering an extremely extended range. The following is its synonymy, as far I have been able to make it out with any certainty :- Mus longicaudatus, Benn. P. Z. S. 1832, p. 2. Mus (Calomys) jiavescens, Waterh. P.Z.S. 1837, p. 19 ; Voy. Beagle, i. M a m m . p. 46, pl. 13 (1839). Mus longicaudus, Lund, Blik p. Bras. Dyrev. iii. p. 279 (1841). Hesperomys eliurus, Wagn. Archiv f. Naturg. 1845, i. p. 147; Abhaudl. Akad. Munch, v. p. 307 (1850). It is, however, just possible that Mus longitarsus, Rengg.2, may refer to this species, in which case Mr. Bennett's name would have to sink into a synonym, as Rengger's work was published in 1830, two years before M. longicaudatus was described. Prof. Burmeister in his recent work on the Mammals of the Argentine Republic3, places M. longitarsus as a synomym of H. longicaudatus, apparently not noticing that, if they are the same, the former name must stand as that of the species. However, the type of M. longitarsus, though young, is said by Rengger to have a hind 1 Schinz, Syn. Mamm. ii. p. 193 (1844). H. vulpinus, Lund, nee Licht. 2 Saug. Parag. pp. 231, 232 (1830). 3 Page 221,1879. |