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Show 1900.] MUS SYLVATICUS AND ITS ALLIES. 411 \_31usculus dichrurus, C. S. Bafinesque, Precis des Decouvertes et Travaux somiologiques, p. 13 (1814). 3Iyoxus siculos, Lesson, Man. de M a m m . p. 27 (1827). Mus sylvaticus, J. H . Blasius, Saugethiere Deutschlands, p. 322 (1857); Barrett-Hamilton, Ann. & Mag Nat. Hist. ser. 7, vol. ii. p. 426 (Nov. 1898). Type locality. Sicily. Synonymy and Nomenclature. The substitution of the generic name 31usculus for that of 31us is explained by Bafinesque under heading of his 31usculus frugivorus ( = alexandrinus, Is. Geoffr.) in the same work. He simply writes " J'ai change le nom trop court et equivoque de Mus en Musculus." Description and General Remarks. In the absence of a series of the Long-tailed'Field-mouse of Sicily I am as yet unable to decide whether it be distinct or not. Mr. J. I. S. Whitaker has sent over one or two specimens for identification, which, however, do not form material sufficient to enable me to make a thorough comparison. They seem to vary a good deal amongst themselves, one being very red in the colour of the upperside and another very much duller. The size seems to be larger than that of M. s. inter medius.'] 11. MUS SYLVATICUS ALGIRUS. Mus algirus, Pomel, Compt. Bend. Ac. Sc. Paris, xiii. p. 654 (1856); nee Loche, Eev. et Mag. de Zool. p. 49, pi. i. (1858), and Expl. de l'Algerie, sp. 78 (1867). Tgpe locality. Algeria. Synonymy and Nomenclature. There can be no doubt that Pomel's name refers to the Long-tailed Field-mouse of Algeria, and, as this name exists, I propose to treat the form as subspecific, although, as in other cases, I have no series of specimens. Distinguishing Characteristics. There is only one specimen of Mus s. algirus in the British Museum of Natural History, but that one, no. 52.5.27.62, although a very old French skin, is so peculiar in appearance that I think it very probably represents a distinguishable subspecies. The skin is a small one, but the coloration suggests that it is that of an adult, the underside being very white and the upperside almost chocolate in tint. The original description ran as follows:-"Pelage d'un gris-bruuatre, teint de jaune ou de roussatre, mcle de quelques longs cils noirs ; parties infeiieurs du corps, face interne des membres et pieds blanchatres ; parfois une tache rousse a la poitrine; talon brun ; oreilles presque rondes, courtes, avec une petit touffe devant le meat; une tache blanchatre derriere Foreille; queue grise dessous, brunissant de plus en plus vers le bout. Le corps mesure Om.,075 ; la queue Om.,060. " Habitat des terriers dans les cultures et les broussailles; quel-quefois entre dans les maisons des campagnes." Distribution. According to Lataste, the Long-tailed Field-mouse has been recorded for Barbary by Poiret, who states that he found |