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Show 802 MR. W. E. DE WINTON ON SOME RODENTS [Nov. 17 as the Museum has lately received specimens from the Transvaal collected by Dr. Percy Rendall, and it is possible that its range may extend still further south, as from the very little attention the small mammals have received since the time of the early discoverers and owing to the bad state of preservation of many of the original types, this species has been overlooked. 5. Mus AURICOMIS, sp. n. a. Ad. sk. S • Mazoe, Mashunaland, 9 August, 1895. 3. Ad. sk. S. „ „ 19 „ „ (type). y. Ad. sk. 2 • 33 19 „ „ " Testes larger than those of the larger species" (M. chryso-phllus).- J.ff. B. Collector's measurements, taken in the flesh, of type 95.11.3.21 in Brit. Mus.:-Head and body 113 mm.; tail 147 ; hind foot 24; ear 17. Skull: greatest length 31; breadth 15; across brain-case 13-5; nasals 13 x 4 ; frontals 9*5 ; parietals 5 ; interparietals 4x9; basal length 26*5 ; henselion to back of palate 13*5 ; palate to foramen mag. 10 ; incisor foramina 7'5 ; upper molar series 5-2 ; diastema 7'5; depth, parietals to bulla? 11*1; mandible, height at coronoid 8-5 ; incisor-tips to condyle 20. The whole of the upper parts yellow-fawn, strongly sprinkled with black hairs; cheeks and sides and thighs almost pine fawn, showing considerable contrast to the darker dorsal region; the whole of the underparts, including the feet and hands, almost pure white ; the colours of the upper and under parts being clearly defined. The bases of the hairs of the back slate-colour (paler than in M. chrysophilus), those of the underparts being pale grey only at the extreme bases. Ears moderate and naked, save for a few7 yellow hairs. Tail almost naked, but with a few very short, adpressed hairs, which increase in number aud length towards the tip ; scales in rings 11 to 10 mm., shining like mica in some lights, the basal half is indistinctly bicoloured, brown above, whitish beneath, the terminal portion unicoloured brown. Closely resembling M. chrysophilus in general characters, but distinctly smaller; the colour is less rufous and more golden, with more contrast between the colours of the back and sides, and whereas the under-fur of M. chrysophilus is dark slate above and beneath, in this species it is grey-slate above and the underparts have this colour only at the bases of the hairs, or the hairs may be white throughout. This Rat no doubt is closely allied to Mus namaquensls, A. Smith, described in the S. Afr. Quart. Journ. vol. ii. p. 160 as Gerbillus namaquensis ; it is distinguished, however, by its shorter ears and longer tail; the fur does not seem so soft, and is shorter. From M. pcedidcus, Sund., it is distinguished by the coarser scales on the tail and the cusps of the molars are set in straighter cross rows, the teeth broader. |
