334 



bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



lower surface covered with short ochraceous buff hairs slightly paler 

 on the distal half, and without admixture of black. Ears externally 

 covered with black hairs, and minutely bordered with whitish. 



Tail slightly longer than head and body, about 112%; hind foot 

 shorter and stouter than in T. momhasac. 



Skull. — The skull is that of a fully adult animal with teeth con- 

 siderably worn. The anterior palatal vacuities do not extend quite 



to the level of the posterior edge of 

 the second molar, and the posterior 

 are present as rounded foramina 

 larger than in T. robusta, beyond 

 which the lateral extension of the 

 palatal is very much more reduced. 

 The pterygoids do not extend be- 

 yond the posterior median edge of 

 the palate and are not expanded 

 proximally. The nasal portion is 

 relatively shorter than in T. robusta. 

 Measurements. — The type meas- 

 ured in the flesh : — head and body 

 141 mm., tail 158, hind foot 34, 

 ear from meatus 20. Skull : — oc- 

 cipitonasal length 38.5, basal length 

 32.5, palatal length 20, nasals 15.4, 

 zygomatic breadth 20.4, incisive foramina 6.6, audital bulla 10 X 6.5, 

 upper molar series (alveoli) 7, lower molar series (alveoli) 6.3, upper 

 diastema 10.1. 



Remarks. — This small Tatera of the Blue Nile does not seem to 

 resemble any of its geographically near allies. From the Abyssinian 

 T. shoana it differs in its untufted tail, smaller size, and proportions. 

 Compared with T. mombasae it is distinguishable at a glance by its 

 shorter hind foot, less clear ochraceous coloring, and its tail which is 

 proportionately shorter, coarser-haired, and differently colored. 



The t^'pe was brought in by the natives at Fazogli near the Abys- 

 sinian border, and was said to have been caught in the tall grass of the 

 alluvial plains. With it were its four young, about one third grown, 

 which differ in color from the adult in being much darker above owing 

 to the predominance of long black hairs; the sides are only slightly 

 tinged with pale ochraceous buff, and the tail below is clear white to 

 the tip, not ochraceous buff as in the adult. The discovery of these 

 two additional species is of the greatest interest, as hitherto Tatera 



Fig. 3.- 

 X 3. 



Tatera soror, palatal region. 



