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Show 186 ON SMALL MAMMALS FROM EASTERN AFRICA. [Mar. 3, 12. Mus DOLICHURUS, Smuts. a-d. 2 and 3 young ones. Mount Elgon. 2/90. " Found in a Barbet's nest in a hole in a tree in thick forest." Mus arborarius, Peters 1, originally described from the Zambezi, and recorded by Pagenstecher from Mguruman, Masai-land, is no doubt synonymous with the earlier described M. dolichurus 2. So also, in all probability, is the same author's M. rutilans3 from the Cameroons, while a specimen from Fayum, Egypt, in the Berlin Museum, which is marked " Mus argillosus, Licht." 4, appears also to be the present form. The species therefore ranges over the whole of Africa, from Egypt to the Cape, although it is evidently very rare, as so few specimens have been brought to Europe. The three young ones, taken from the nest by Mr. Jackson, are clothed with straight crisp hairs above and are nearly naked below; their upper surfaces are of a dark mouse-grey colour with prominent yellowish patches behind the ears ; their chins, chests, and bellies are bordered with bright cream-colour. As in other long-tailed species, the tails of the young are comparatively short, barely equalling the length of the body without the head. 13. MUS (ISOMYS) ABYSSINICUS, Rupp. a, b. Turquel, Siik. 1/90. 14. Mus (ISOMYS) PUMILTO, Sparrm. a, b. Mianzini. 8/89. 15. RHIZOMYS ANNECTENS, sp. n. a. Ad. S • Type of species. (?) b, c. Yg. Mianzini. 8/89. Like R. splendens, Rupp., but considerably larger, although not attaining the size of R. macrocephalus, Riipp. Dimensions of a :-Head and body (circa) 240 millim.; tail 45 ; hind foot, without claws 29, with claws 33. Skull dimensions :-Basion to gnathion 51 ; hasion to front surface of one of the incisors 52 ; zygomatic breadth 39*4 ; nasals, length 21, greatest breadth 7'6; breadth between outer corners of infraorbital foramina 15'3; diastema 21*5 ; combined breadth of upper incisors 8*2 ; length of upper molar series (crowns only) 10*0. Lower jaw, length (bone only) 36 ; back of condyles to incisor tips 43-5. The basal length of the skull of R. macrocephalus appears, from Riippeli's figures, to be about 63 millim., while that of the largest of six specimens of R. splendens in the British Museum is only 41. 1 Siiugeth. Mossamb. p. 152 (1852). 2 En. M a m m . Cap. p. 38 (1832). 3 M B . Ak. Berl. 1876, p. 478. The type of this species is said to have only 0-2 = 4 mammas; but this is probably an abnormality, as there is a specimen in the Museum from the Niger with the usual number, 1-2=6. 4 No description published, so far as I can ascertain. The specimen was collected by Hemprich and Ehrenberg. |
