Descriptive List of the Rodents of Sou Hi Africa. 219 



Distribution. The type of the species was obtained by the 

 Swedish collector Wahlberg, near Durban, that of the dark 

 variety at Mazoe, in Mashonaland, by Mr. ff. Darling ; it is also 

 recorded from Nyassaland. Mr. Marshall has recently presented an 

 example to the South African Museum from Salisbury. 



GEN. AEVICANTHIS. 



Arvieanthis, LESSON, N. Tabl. E. A. Mamm., p. 147, 1842. Type 

 A. niloticus. 



Isomys, SUNDEVALL, k. Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockholm (1842), 

 p. 219 (1843). Type A. niloticus. 



Eat-like animals with hairy ears, covered with a \voolly under-fur, 

 through which project the longer, coarser hairs ; the first and fifth 

 fingers and toes are very short, much more so than in the true rats. 

 The plan of coloration is never plain, but consists of lines or spots 

 on the back. 



Skull and dentition as in Mus; mammae 8 2 pairs pectoral, 

 2 pairs inguinal. 



This genus is hardly separated from Mus by any definite 

 characters, and its recognition is more a matter of convenience 

 than anything else ; some half-dozen species are described from 

 various parts of Africa, while one extends to the south - western 

 part of Asia. 



AEVICANTHIS PUMILIO, THE STRIPED MOUSE. 



Mus pumilio, SPAREMAN, k. Vet. Akad. Handl., p. 339, pi. vi. 

 (1784) ; ID., Voyage to Cape, English trans., 8vo ed. ii., p. 375, 

 pi. vii. (1785) ; BRANTS, Muizen, p. 103 (1827) ; SMUTS, Enum. Mam. 

 Cap., p. 36 (1832); A. SMITH, S. Afr. Quart. Journ., ii., p. 153 

 (1834); ID., Illustr. Zool. S. Afr. Mam., pi. xlvi., fig. 1 (1849); 

 SUNDEVALL, Oefvers. Akad. Forh. Stockholm 1846, p. 88 (1847); 

 GRILL, Victorin Zool. Anteck. k. Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockholm, ii., 

 p. 17 (1858) ; LAYARD, Cat. Mam. S. Afr. Mus., p. 50 (1862) ; 

 THOMAS, Proc. Zool. Soc., p. 266 (1882). 



Muslineatus, F. CUVIER, Hist. Nat. Mam., livr. 61 (1829). 



Mus donovani, LESSON, Man. Mam., p. 268 (1827). 



Mus vittatus, WAGNER, Arch. Naturg., viii., p. 11 (1842). 



Mus septemmttatus, SCHINZ, Synops. Mam., ii., p. 155 (1845). 



Mus striatus, SUNDEVALL, Oefvers. Akad. Forh. Stockholm 1846, 

 p. 88 (1847). 



