Mr. J. Gould on a new species of Hapalotis. 281 



form to, the Black Rat of Europe {Mus Rattus), from which it differs 

 however in having the tip of the nose, the front part of the lips, a 

 longitudinal stripe on the breast, the hind and fore feet, white. For 

 this he proposed the name of 



Mus MANICATUS. 



Head, ears, and all the upper surface black, gradually passing into 

 the deep grey of the under surface ; nose, fore part of the lips, stripe 

 down the centre of the throat and chest, hind and fore feet, white ; 

 whiskers deep black ; tail denuded of hairs. 



Length from nose to base of tail .... 7 inches. 



of the tail 5 „ 



of the fore-arm l^ „ 



of tarsi and toes If „ 



Hab. Port Essington. 



Remark. — This animal was presented to Mr. Gould by J. B. 

 Turner, Esq. 



The fourth is a very diminutive Rat, with coarse hair and a some- 

 what short tail ; it is even smaller in size than the Mus Gouldi and 

 M. gracilicauda, but is more nearly allied to the latter than to any 

 other. Three or four specimens, all of the same size, are contained 

 in the collection at the British Museum, and there are others in the 

 Derby Museum at Liverpool, all of which were collected by Mr. 

 Gilbert on the Victoria Plains, Western Australia. 



Mt3s nanus. 



Head, all the upper surface, flanks, outer sides of the limbs, and 

 hairs clothing the tail, brown, with numerous interspersed fine black 

 hairs ; under surface greyish-white, becoming much lighter and 

 forming a conspicuous patch immediately beneath the tail ; whiskers 

 black ; feet light brown ; base of the whole of the fur bluish-grey. 



Length from nose to base of tail 4 inches. 



of the tail 3^ „ 



of the fore-arm \ „ 



of the tarsus and toes , . 4- 



4 



This animal is known to the Aborigines of Moore's River in 

 Western Australia by the name of Jilheetch. 



On the part of Dr. Gray, Mr. Gould brought under the notice of the 

 Meeting a new and very distinct species of Hapalotis, which is nearly 

 allied to, but considerably exceeds in size, the Hapalotis melanura. 

 This animal was collected by Mr. Elsey in the interior of Australia 

 during the recent expedition from the north-west coast of Australia 

 to Moreton Bay. It is a harsh wiry -furred animal, and differs from 

 H. melanura not only in size, but in the apical half of the tail being 

 white. 



Hapalotis hemileucura. 



Head, all the upper surface and flanks very light sandy-brown. 



