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Show 458 MR. w. L. DISTANT O N RHYNCHOTA [June 17, a rich bright chestnut-colour. Belly hairs slate-coloured, white tips. Feet pure white. Tail thickly haired, though not pencilled, sharply bicolor, dark brown above, and pure white on the sides and below. Ears thickly covered with shining yellowish grey hairs. An inconspicuous white spot both above and below the base of each ear. Ears large and rounded ; laid forward they just cover the eyes; no projection on the anterior margin. Feet slender; the fourth toe the longest, fifth barely reaching to the end of the first phalanx of the fourth ; soles naked ; foot-pads smaller and more prominent than in B. chinchilloides. Mammae 8-two pectoral and two inguinal pairs. Interdental palate-ridges 5 ; smooth posterior palate commencing between the second and third molars. Skull (Plate XLIV. figs. 20 & 21) with the essential characters of that of B. chinchilloides, but the frontal outline less arched, the nasals shorter and narrower, and the interparietal narrower from before backwards. Upper edge of orbit not beaded. Anterior palatine foramen reaching to opposite the second projection of m1. The nearest ally of this species is of course R. chinchilloides, Waterh., from which it may be distinguished by its larger ears, slenderer feet, and wholly different coloration, while of the true Hesperomyes, II. xanthopygus, Waterh., agrees most nearly in colour and proportions with it, but may be readily distinguished by its plainer colour, narrow convex teeth, and much longer tail. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. PLATE XLII. Fig. 1. Hesperomys laticeps, var. nitidus, p. 452. 2. H. bimaculatus, var. lepidus, p. 454. P L A T E XLIII. Fig. 1. H. scalops, p. 455. 2. Bheithrodon pictus, p. 457. PLATE XLIV. Fig. 1. Palate of Hesperomys scalops. 2-5. Skull and hind-foot of H. cinereus. 6. Palate of H. latimanus, p. 452. 7-9. Palate, skull, and hind foot of H. leucodactylus, p. 452. 10-13. Skull, bind foot, and ear of H. bimaculatus, var. lepidus, p. 454. 14. Ear of H. bimaculatus, typ. var., p. 454. 15-16. Skull of H. scalops, p. 455. 17-18. Skull of H. spinosus, p. 453. 19-21. Hind foot and skull of Bheithrodon pictus, p. 457. II. On the Rhynchota collected by the late Mr. W. A. Forbes on the Lower Niger. By W . L. DISTANT. [Received June 17, 1884.] The small Rhynchotal portion of the Entomological collection made by the late Mr. W . A .Forbes on the Lower Niger having been placed in my hands for identification, with a request that I |