778 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVL 



Distribution: — 



A. indicus, Gray. Type locality : — Kandahar. 



Other localities : — Kandahar ; N. 

 W. Frontier. (B. M.). 



Co-types:— B.M.^o. 44.0.15.4 

 & 5. 



Lectotype :— B.M. No. 44.9.15.4. 



Family III.— GuRiDiG. 



There is only one genus. 



Gen. — Platacanthomys. 



No. 263. lasiurus, Bly. This is the only species. 



Distribution : — 



P. lasiurus, Blyth. Type locality : — South Malabar 



(Rev. H. Baker.) 



Other localities : — South Malabar ; 

 Travancore (B. M.) ; South Coorg 

 (M.S.I.). 



Co-type:— BM. No. 60.5.13.1. 



Family IV. — MuRiD^. 

 The three Subfamilies may be distinguished as follows :— 



Key to the Subfamilies of the Murid^e. 

 A. — Tail markedly longer than half the 

 head and bodj^ together. 



a. Tail well covered with hair, usually 

 with a tassel of longer hairs at the 

 tip ; feet abnormally long in pro- 

 portion to size ... I. Gerbillin^. 



b. Tail sparsely haired, showing the 

 scales, no marked tassel ; feet of 



normal length II. MURIN^. 



B. — Tail less than half as long as the head 



and body together III. Oricetin^. 



Subfamily I. — Gerbillin^. 

 The genus Gerbillus was founded by Desniarest in 1804, and 

 seven years later Illiger separated Meriones lor an animal from the 

 Caspian region, while in 1881 and 1882 Lataste separated Dipodil- 

 LUS and Tatera for Egyptian and Indian forms. These four genera 

 may be arranged in a key as follows : — 



Key to the genera of the GERBiLLiNiE. 

 A. — Size small, head and body 80 mm. or less. 

 a. Sole of foot hairy ; one large metacarpal 



pad T. Gerbillus. 



