290 Mammals of Eastern Asia 
predominates. The typical race occurs from Chekiang and 
Fukien westward to Szechwan, thence south to the mountains of 
Tonkin. In Hainan R. c. lotipes represents the species. 
j. The Malaysian Field Rat, Rattus rattus jalorensis, is the 
common Field Rat of the lower Malay Peninsula. Brownish gray 
above, it has pure white underparts. The length of head and 
body is 6 inches, tail 6 inches. 
4. Large to medium-sized Rats with reddish spiny pelage and 
white underparts : 
k. The Rajah Rats, Rattus rajah (with surifer) and allies, 
are large to medium-sized forms, with coarse reddish brown 
fur mixed with black, often densely spiny (other smaller species 
also have spines) ; the underparts white or buffy white. The tail, 
dark above, white beneath, is usually shorter than the head and 
body. In forms from the northern parts of the total range, 
Indo-China and Formosa, seasonal shedding of the spines seems 
to take place, leaving these Rats at certain months virtually 
spineless. A very large number of forms belong to the group. 
Although Rajah Rats occur through the Malay area and Indo- 
China to Formosa, most of them are island races. The continen- 
tal forms are R. surifer leonis from Singapore, R. pellax, 
siarma, and koratis, respectively from lower, western, and east- 
ern Siam. The form from Formosa is R. coxinga. The race 
finis occurs from extreme northern Laos to central Annam. The 
length of the head and body in leonis is 6% inches, tail 7 inches, 
hind foot 1% inches ; in siarma 7, 7%, and 1% inches ; in pellax 
6, 6%, and 1% inches; in koratis 7 1 / 4, 7 1 / 4, and 1% inches; in 
coxinga 7 to 7%, 8% to 10, and 1% inches (Kuroda). There 
appears to be a very strong resemblance between the many forms 
of the rajah group. One suspects that some will at length be 
shown as merely seasonal or age phases of single races. 
5. Small-sized Rats with reddish pelage and white underparts. 
Under this heading come two entire groups of Rats : the ere- 
