32 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [vOL. 45. 



Specimens examined. — Twenty-four (6 skulls without skins), all 

 from the Pagi Islands. 



Remarks. — This is the largest and most conspicuous member of 

 the sabanus-vociferans group that has yet come to my notice. It is 

 evidently a near relative of Mus siporanus of Sipora Island, but the 

 color is without trace of rufous. The series presents little variation 

 in the color of the upperparts, and such as there is consists chiefly 

 in the greater or less extent of the black lumbar area. On the under- 

 parts the brown median chest line is better developed in some speci- 

 mens than in others, though it is apparently never absent. In one 

 skin (female, No. 121,539) it extends back to middle of belly. In 

 most of the specimens there is a trace of the brown stain on the 

 chest, and in four a bright yellow wash' covers parts of the belly 

 and even spreads to the posterior half of back. It is undoubtedly 

 due to stain. 



MUS UKSM sp. nov. 



Type. — Adult female (skin and skull). No. 121,822, United States 

 National Museum. Collected on Tana Masa, Batu Islands, Febru- 

 ary 21, 1903, by Dr. W. L. Abbott. Original number, 2327. 



Characters. — A small member of the sabanus-vociferans group,, 

 with dull ochraceous back and sides, whitish underparts, and wholly 

 brown tail. Skull like that of Mus soccatus, but not as large. 

 Mammse, 8. 



Fur. — The quality of the fur is as in the members of the sabanus- 

 vociferans group, that is, the flattened, grooved hairs, while not 

 stiff enough to form spines, are so numerous as to make the fur 

 coarse and harsh. The hairs of the rump and lumbar region are 

 elongated, but not conspicuously so. 



Mammce. — Mammse 8, four pectoral and four inguinal. 



Color. — Back and sides mixed blackish brown and pale dull 

 ochraceous or yellowish buff, the exact shade of the lighter color 

 not easily defined, but approaching the ochraceous of Ridgway on 

 shoulders, and fading about to buff on sides. Along middle of back 

 the blackish brown predominates, while on sides the buff becomes 

 almost clear. Crown like back, but more finely grizzled, and slightly 

 tinged with gray; cheeks like sides, but duller. Outer surface of 

 legs like sides, but tinged distally with hair-brown. Feet dull in- 

 definite light brown. Underparts and inner surface of legs white 

 tinged with cream-buff. Ears and tail dark brown, the latter not as 

 dark below as above, but in no way bicolor. 



Skull and teeth. — Skull almost exactly like that of Mus soccatus 

 except that it is not as large ; the incisive foramina are relatively 



