HETEROMYS. 167 
1. Heteromys desmarestianus. (Tab. XVII. fig. 1.) 
Heteromys desmarestianus, Gray, P. Z. S. 1848, p. 79 (sine descr.)!; op. cit. 1868, p. 204 (descr. 
orig.)”; Alston, op. cit. 1877, p. 446%. 
Hab. Guatemaua, Coban (Mus. Brit.). 
Of this species nothing is known save Gray’s type in the British Museum, which is 
represented in our figure. It has very much the general coloration of H. anomalus, but 
differs both in size and in its dark-pointed spines. From no specimens being included 
in Mr. Salvin’s collections, it is probable that the species is very rare in Guatemala. 
2. Heteromys longicaudatus. (Tab.XVII. fig. 2.) 
Heteromys melanoleucus, Gray, P. Z.S. 1868, p. 204 (descr. orig.)’. 
Heteromys longicaudatus, Gray, loc. cit. (descr. orig.)”. 
Heteromys irroratus, Gray, tom. cit. p. 205 (descr. orig.)’. 
Heteromys albolimbatus, Gray, loc. cit. (descr. orig.) *. 
Heteromys adspersus, Peters, Monatsb. Ak. Berl. 1874, p. 357 (deser. orig.)’. 
Taliusa of Guatemalans (common to Geomys hispidus). 
Hab. Mexico (Sallé, Mus. Brit.2), Oaxaca (Sallé, ib.3), La Parada (Sallé, 16.4); Guarn- 
MALA, Duefias (Godman & Salvin, Mus. Brit.) ; Costa Rica (dZus. Brit.) ; Panama 
(Boucard, Mus. Berol.®).—Souta America, Colombia, Venezuela. 
After a careful study, I have been quite unable to find any valid specific distinctions 
between the specimens on which the late Dr. Gray bestowed the names of Heteromys 
melanoleucus', H. longicaudatus*, H. irroratus®, and H. albolimbatus4 ; and an exami- 
nation of the type of Professor Peters’s H. adspersus® proves that it belongs to the same 
somewhat variable species. In colour the British-Museum specimens do not differ so 
much as one would gather from Gray’s very misleading descriptions. It is painful to 
have to point out the numerous errors into which that voluminous writer fell in the 
present case; but it is absolutely necessary that this should be done. H. melanoleucus 
is not from “ Honduras,” but was sent by Dyson from Venezuela, as shown by the 
Museum register. Its fur is not “black,” but of a warm tawny mouse-grey, little 
darker than that of the other “ species.” The specimen named H. irroratus shows 
a slight tinge of pale fawn along the edge of the darker colouring, but not a ‘ widish 
interrupted yellow line;” while the two types of H. albolimbatus differ from one 
another in the extension of colour on the fore limbs*. Nor can any trust be placed 
in the other characters on which Gray depended, as the length of the tail, the hairi- 
ness of the ears, and the comparative softness or harshness of the fur. Thus a 
* The locality of these examples is given by Gray as “La Parda (Feirecier) ;” but their labels bear “ La 
Parada, Février 1861,” in Sallé’s handwriting. 
