CLASSIFICATION OF THE BANDICOOTS. 737 



The genus is not well represented in the National Collection. 

 There is a series of specimens from Rajputana and odd ones from 

 Fategarh, Delhi, &c, and this would seem to be the southern and 

 eastern limit of distribution of the genus. Northwards it has been 

 found as far as Lob Nor (40° N. lat.j, and it extends at least as far 

 west as Cairo. 



The fur varies between wide extremes — from the coarse, short, harsh, 

 almost bristly pelage of the southern lowland forms (N. indica, &c.) 

 to the fine, long, silky coat of N. brachyura in the far north. All 

 the species have a certain number of longer coarser hairs scattered 

 over the back and flanks, but especially on the rump, which extend 

 beyond the ordinary fur. In all cases the tail is practically naked ; 

 the sparse minute hairs with which it is clothed are only visible 

 under a lens ; the hands and feet are but little better clothed. The 

 colour-pattern in all species is the same. Individual hairs are more 

 or less dark slate-colour for at least three-fourths of their length 

 the balance being a pale tip. The colour of this pale tip and the 

 extent to which the underlying slate-colour shows through determine 

 the general colour of the species. The colour of the back merges 

 gradually into that of the flanks and belly without any sharp line of 

 demarcation ; the lower surface is paler than the upper. 



The following is a key to the species of Nesokia (as now 

 restricted) : — 



A. Length of head and body more than 250 mm. 



a. Tail very short (120 mm.). Alveolar length 



of upper molar series 12 mm. (Lob Nor.) ... 



b. Tail longer (130 mm.). Alveolar length of 



upper molar series 11 mm. (Yarkhand.) (2) 



c. Tail longer (135 mm.). Alveolar length of 



upper molar series 10 mm. (Palestine.) 



B. Length of head and body more than 180 mm. 



a. Hair coarse, coat harsh. (Rajputana.) 



b. Hair fine, coat soft. (Egypt.) 



C. Length of head and body more than 160 mm. 



a. Alveolar length of upper molars 9 mm. 



(Pindi. Kuram, &c.) (6) N. griffitlii, Horsf. 



b. Alveolar length of upper molars 8-5 mm. 



a'. Hair coarse, harsh. (Central Sind 



Desert.) (7) N. beaba, sp. n. 



V. Hair soft, silky. (Caspian Sea.) ... (8) N. bailwardi, Thos. 



