Vol. 34, pp. 93-104 June 30, 1921 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



I I 



TWENTY NEW MAMMALS COLLECTED BY H. C. 



RAVEN IN CELEBES. 



BY GERRIT S. MILLER, JR. AND N. HOLLISTER. 



[Published here by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.] 



Further study of the mammals collected in Celebes by Mr. 

 H. C. Raven and presented to the U. S. National Museum by 

 Dr. W. L. Abbott has resulted in the discovery of eighteen new 

 forms in addition to those recently described. ^ 



Melasmothrix, gen. nov. (Murinae). 



Type. — Melasmothrix naso, sp. nov. 



Characters. — A small rat with elongated snout, dense velvety fur, and 

 short ears; feet scantily haired, the claws on fore feet longest, the thumb 

 reduced to a small tubercle with a flattened nail; tail considerably shorter 

 than head and body, densely and closely haired (the annulations scarcely 

 visible), apparently without pencil (tip imperfect). Skull resembling that 

 of Echiothrix in its general elongated form and the slender mandible, but 

 interorbital region smooth, external pterygoid normally developed, zygo- 

 matic plate lying directly over m^, and premaxillaries extending forward 

 sufficiently to form the lower border of a short nasal tube in front of incisors. 

 Teeth (much worn) apparently not different from those of Echiothrix, 

 but upper toothrows not distinctly converging posteriorly and root of 

 lower incisor not forming a capsule on outer surface of mandible. 



Remarks. — This genus appears to be very distinct from any hitherto 

 described. Externally the animal shows no striking peculiarities other 

 than the lengthened muzzle and the large claws on the fore feet. The skull 

 has the slender elongated form seen in Echiothrix, but the details of struc- 

 ture, particularly the unusual position of the anterior zygomatic root, 

 entirely behind the level of the anterior border of m', and the normal, 

 unreduced condition of the ectopterygoid readily distinguish it. The 

 resemblance to Echiothrix appears to be purely superficial and may indicate 

 no intimate relationship. 



1 Miller and Hollister, Descriptions of sixteen new murine rodents from Celebes, Proc. 

 Biol. Soc. Wash., vol. 34, pp. 67-76, March 31, 1921. 



J8— P?oc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 34, 1921. (93) 



