| OCR Text |
Show 1905. j MAMMALS FROM ZULULAND. 263 The characters of the three forms are briefly as follows Myosorex sclateri sclateri. General colour dark bistre-brown. Skull in length 25 mm. or over, about 12 mm. in breadth. Hind foot 16 mm. Myosorex sclateri talpinus, subsp. n. Larger. General colour above shining black, below sepia. Hind foot 18 mm. Myosorex sclateri affinis, subsp. n. Smaller. Colour as in true sclateri. Skull in length about 24\5 mm., in breadth about 1 1'3. Hind foot 15 mm. Below is appended a full description of the two new subspecies:- M yo so r ex sc la ter i t a l p in u s . General colour of upper surface shining black, lighter on flanks, passing to sepia on the under surface. Individual hairs above about 10 mm. long, basal four-fifths slate-grey, tip black. Long bail's on rump projecting noticeably beyond the short hair. Fur of under surface very fine and close, about 5 mm. long, basal two-thirds slate-grey, distal third sepia. Upper sides of hands and feet light brown as in sclateri, claws light in colour and rather long. Tail dark brown above and below, no tuft at tip. Skull as in true sclateri, considerably larger and more strongly built than in M. varius. Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh):-Head and body 100 mm. ; tail 56 ; hind foot 18; ear 11. Skull-back of condyle to front face of i1 25 ; basal length 21 ; breadth across brain-case 12'5 ; length of upper tooth-series 1 O'5. Hab. Umvolosi, Zululand, alt. 60 m. Type. Male. B.M. no. 4.12.3.20. Original number 823. Collected 23 July, 1904. Four specimens examined. This subspecies may be easily distinguished from any other form by its dark velvety coat, which is very like that of a Mole. " Zulu name ‘ Ngoso ukulu.' " Inhabits the thick undergrowth on the banks of streams."- C. H. B. G. M yo so r ex sc la ter i a f f in is . Smaller. Colour as in true sclateri. Skull smaller throughout (see measurements below) ; the size rather more constant in the males than in females. The breadth across the brain-case is noticeably greater in sclateri than in the present form, whose skull therefore appears very slender when compared with that of the Ngoye Hills race. The antero-posterior measurement of the second upper molar is slightly larger in sclateri than in affinis. Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh):-Head and body 84 mm. ; tail 46 ; hind foot 15 ; ear 9. |
