OCR Text |
Show 12 MR. O. THOMAS ON A NEW MUS. [Jail. 6, The muzzle is distinctly grooved from between the nostrils to the upper lip. The ear is rounded, nearly as broad as long, and is covered on both sides with short silvery hairs, which form a very narrow fringe round the edge. The dorsal surfaces of the feet are also covered with similar, but longer, hairs. The length of the tail is rather less than that of the head and body combined ; and it is sparsely covered with short brown hairs, not hiding the scales. The palm-pads of the hind feet are six in number, arranged as shown as in the accompanying drawing. The fore feet are too much dried up in the type specimen for the shape of their pads to be distinguishable. The colour of the fur all over the body is of a light slate-colour for seven eighths of its length. The terminal eighth is brown along the centre of the back, becoming lighter towards the sides. On the Right pes of Mus huegeli, enlarged. belly the tips are quite white, and there is also a white ring rouud the hairs at about halfway from the roots. The head is coloured like the body. The skull is that of a typical Mus, and presents no characters worthy of special remark. In the type specimen the posterior molars both above and below have not quite grown up into their places ; so that it is not fully adult. Measurements, in inches and tenths :- Length of the head and body 5*0 » tail 4*3 „ „ fore foot, without claws 0*45 „ „ hind foot „ „ . .. \-\ Ear 0*5x0*45 Skull1, from hinder edge of parietals to end of nasals 1 * 1 Nasal bones, length Q.44 Breadth of brain-case 06'5 „ between orbits 0*23 Length of palate, from behind incisors 0*6 „ lower jaw, from condyles to anterior end of symphysis 0'73 The only other indigenous Fijian Mice hitherto described are the 1 The occipital portion of the skull and the zygomata have been unfortunately broken away; so that the full length and breadth cannot be given. |