SCIENTIIIC RESULTS FROM THE MAMMAL SURVEY. 389 



its tail is relatively longer. As it has received a name and is an 

 island form, it is convenient to continue to regard handianus as 

 distinct, at all events until a similarly good series of specimens 

 comes to hand from the south of India. 



9. Rattus rattus gangutrianus, subsp. n. 



1914. JEfimys nifescens, variety with white underparts, 

 Wroughton, Keport No. 15, Kumaon. /. Bombay Nat. 

 Hist. Soc, xxiii., p. 295. 



Type:—K male (B. M. 14.7.10.127; Original No. 4258) collect- 

 ed at Ranibagh, Naini Tal, on 25 December 1913, by Mr. 0. A. 

 Crump for the Mammal Survey ; pi'esented to the National Collec- 

 tion by the Bombay Natural History Society. 



Distribution: — Kumaon; at altitudes ranging from 1,100' to 

 7,650'. 



Material examined : — 14 (5 c? , 9 5 ) from Ramnagar (1,100') ; 4 

 (1 c? , 3 § ) from Dela, Ramnagar (1,500') ; 1 f § ) from Jerna, 

 Ramnagar (1,500'); 10 (6 j , 4 $ ) from Sitabani (2,000') ; 2 ( c? ; 

 from Ranibagh, Naini Tal (2,500') ; 7 (5 c? , 2 $ ) from Katighat 

 (3,800') ; 7 (5 d , 2 2 ) from Takula (5,350') ; 8 (3 c? , 5 $ ) from 

 Almora (5,500'); 33 (13 j, 20 $) from Lohaghat, Almora 

 (5,600') ; 2 ( c? ) from Bhowali, Naini Tal (5,700') ; 1 ( d ) from 

 Naini Tal (7,000'); 8 (2 c? , 6 $ ) from Khati, Pindar Valley 

 (7,650'); 5 (4 c^, 1 $) from Lwarket (6,000'); 4 (2 c? , 2 § ) 

 from Bageswar (3,200'). Total 106 (51 c? , 55 $ ). All collected 

 by Mr. C, A. Crump for the Mammal Surve}^; those presented 

 to the British Museum have been registered under the serial number 

 14.7.10. 



Description ; — This well marked subspecies attains a larger size 

 than do those dealt with above ; the head and body length ranges 

 between 130 and 187 mm. — specimens measuring from 150 to 170 

 being most numerous. The tail is relatively shorter than in the 

 lowland forms, the difference being most marked in younger stages 

 of growth. 



'Typically the fur is dense, long and soft, rarely developing spines. 

 The dorsal coloration is far colder than in the hill races of Sikkim 

 and considerably lighter as a rule than in the lowland subspecies 

 narbadce and girensis. Usually the ground colour of the back and 

 flanks is a light but cold grey or jj-ellow and it is lined with a variable 

 number of long black hairs ; the latter are most abundant along the 

 mid-dorsal line, especially towards the rump, where they not in- 

 frequently form a noticeable black stripe which extends on to the 

 root of the tail. The bellies are very softly furred, pure white as a 

 i-ule, but sometimes tinged with pale yellow, and always sharply and 

 regular contrasted with the dark flanks. The majority of the ventral 

 l^airs are light coloured to their bases ; but on the chest and along the 



