794 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI 



h^. Dorsal colour not olive. j 



a. Backs bright clay or golden 1 



brown ; tail very long, 

 more than 150 % of head 

 and body ... ... (V) r.satarce, Hint. ' 



h\ Backs inclining to rufous, 

 whitish bristles usually 

 present ; 

 a*. Tail short, about 122 per 



cent, of head and body. {¥) r. wroughtoni, 



Hint. 

 6*. Tail longer, 132 per cent. I 



of head and body ... (l)r. kandianus,^el. 

 b\ Fur rather short, thin, and 

 harsh, but usuall)^ not spiny ; 

 dorsal colour cold and dull ; 

 tail long, about 135 per cent, 

 of head and body. 

 a^. Dorsal colour warmer, near 



cinnamon brown or tawny, (m) r. arboreus,^. Ham. 

 b'. Dorsal colour colder and 

 greyish, 

 tt'. Dorsal colour drab ; long 



black hairs tending to ] 



form a middorsal stripe. . (n) r. narbadce, Hint. 

 b\ Dorsal colour drab grey ; 

 middorsal line decidedly 



darkened by black hairs ; 1 



white of belly duller . . . (o) r. girensis, Hint. 

 B. — Ventral fur slaty-based ; no sharp 



line of colour demarcation along \ 



the flanks ; (essentially commensal i 



with man). ' 



a. Dorsal colour rufous ; hair of belly 



rough, with rusty tinge. \ 



a\ Tail shorter, 125 per cent, of \ 



head and body ... ... (^) r. rufescens, Gray. !| 



6\ Tail longer, 135 per cent, of ' 



head and body ... ... (q) r. nemoralis, Kel. j 



b. Dorsal colour rarely rufous ; belly ' 



without rusty tinge. 

 a\ Backs grey or brown ; belly light 



grey or dusky, rough or smooth (r) r. alexandrinus, ! 



Geoff". 1 



6\ Back black ; belly bluish gre}^, j 



sleek-haired (s) r. rattus, L. 



