SCIENTIFIC RESULTS FROM TEE MAMMAL SURVEY, 411 



III. Rattus Jcelaarti, Wroughton. 



1915. Epimys helaarti, Wroughton, /. Bombay N. H. Soc, 

 vol. xxiv, p. 48. 



Type:— A. male (B. M. 15.7.1.7 ; Original No. 952) collected at 

 Pattipola, Ceylon, by Major Mayor on 21st February, 1914 ; pre- 

 sented to the British Museum by the Bombay Natural History 

 Society. 



Distribution \ — Highlands of Ceylon, 5,000 to 6,000 feet. 



Material examined : — In addition to two specimens presented to 

 the British Museum long ago by Dr. Kelaart, I have examined 54 

 (42 adults) obtained by the Mammal Survey. 



Description : — In general appearance this rat somewhat closely 

 resembles E. nitidus, but its skull agrees exactly with that of such 

 normal subspecies of FL rattus, as r. handianus or r. narbadce. 



The fur is long, dense, and soft. The general dorsal colour is a 

 dark olive-brown, mixed wdth a large proportion of black hairs. 

 The underparts are of an impure white, the ventral hairs having 

 deep slaty bases, which usually show through and tend to obliterate 

 the line of demarcation. The tail is relatively short, averaging 

 about 117 y of the head and body length in specimens 

 with the latter dimension from 150 mm. and upwards. The 

 females have 10 niamniEe. The following are the dimensions of 

 the specimens dealt with in the tables of skull measurements : — 



156-176-32- 21 (type) Pattipola. 

 166-175-31.5-22 

 148-198-30- 20-5 

 146-172-31- 20 Ambawela. 



162-174-34- 21 

 Average of 10 adults :— 157-184-32.5-20-6 



% of head and body— 100-117-20.7- 13.1 



The specimens examined give the following growth table : — 



12 



