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Show 1893.] MR. O. THOMAS ON MAMMALS FROM NYASALAND. 503 16. Mus MUSCULUS, L. a, b. Ad. sks. Zomba. 10/92. c. Ad. al. Milanji. 10/92. 17. Mus (LEGGADA) MINUTOIDES, A. Sm. a-c. Ad. sks. Zomba. 10/92. 18. CRICETOMYS GAMBIANUS, Waterh. a. Ad. sk. • Zomba. 10/92. 19. SACCOSTOMUS CAMPESTRIS \ Pet. a. Ad. sk. Upper Shire. 11/92. b-f. Ad. & imm. al. Fort Johnston. 11/92. 20. STEATOMYS PRATENSIS *, Pet. a-c. Ad. sks. Zomba. 10/92. d. Ad. al. d. Milanji. 10/92. These rare and peculiar short-tailed African Muridse, with their doubtful affinities, are of the greatest interest, and it is probable that a clue to some of the most difficult problems of Murine phylogeny will be gained by a study of their teeth. For these reasons specimens of Saccostomus and Steatomys are most acceptable, and it is to be hoped that M r . W h y t e will also come across examples of the still rarer Malacothrix and Mystromys, approximately similar in size and proportions, but with very different teeth. Although similar to each other superficially, these four last-named genera appear to belong to three different subfamilies- Mystromys seeming to be strictly Cricetine; Steatomys, as Alston has stated2, being closely allied to Bendromys, as also are Malacothrix and Bendromys; while Lophuromys, Saccostomus, and Cricetomys ought, I believe, all to be placed in the restricted subfamily Murinse. Of these last three the first was placed by Alston in the Dendro-myinse and the other two in the Cricetinse. 21. DENDROMYS MESOMELAS, Bts. a. Ad. sk. Zomba. 10/92. b-f. 5 in al. Milanji. These specimens, although 1 place them provisionally under the oldest name, B. mesomelas, certainly seem to differ constantly from the ordinary form of that species in being entirely without the black dorsal line and in being considerably smaller. In these respects they agree with two out of the previous collection, while two others are of the usual large-striped character. They thus correspond with Wagner's B. pumilio, described in 18413, but afterwards 4 considered by him as a synonym of B. mesomelas. Larger series from different localities are, however, needed before one can 1 For nomenclature see Ann. Mag. N. H. (6) x. p. 264 (1892). 2 P. Z. S. 1876, p. 82. 3 Miinch. Gelehrt. Anzeiger, xii. p. 437. 4 Schr. Saug. Supp. iii. p. 464 (1843). |