﻿l6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 59 



One topotype is in the collection and another specimen from a 

 neighboring mountain (Lololokui). These agree closely with the 

 type in color and other characters. 



CRICETOMYS GAMBIANUS ENGUVI, new subspecies 

 Taita Giant Rat 



Type from Mt. Umengo, Taita Mountains, British East Africa, 

 altitude 5000 feet; adult female; number 181805, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; 

 collected by Edmund Heller, November 13, 191 1; original number, 

 4741. 



Characters. — Similar to osgoodi, but pelage darker and longer, 

 and underparts less white ; the chest with a dark blotch ; dark basal 

 part of tail three-fourths total length. Dorsal region color of 

 kenyensis, but underparts white. 



Coloration, — Dorsal area Prout's brown, merging gradually on 

 sides to broccoli-brown, median portion black lined ; ears and hind 

 feet Prout's brown, like the back in color, the feet with whitish 

 borders and toes ; fore feet white. Underparts white, in contrast 

 to the dark sides, the hair wholly white except on chest where it 

 is plumbeous at base and forms a dark blotch. Basal three-fourths 

 of tail sepia, terminal part white. 



Measurements. — Head and body, 325 mm. ; tail, 383 ; hind foot, 

 69 ; ear, 44. Skull : greatest length, 75 ; condylo-incisive length, 

 69 ; basilar length, 60 ; zygomatic breadth, 34.6 ; interorbital con- 

 striction, 11 ; nasals, 30.2 x 9.8; palatilar length, 36; palatal foramina, 

 8.8 ; diastema, 23.6 ; maxillary toothrow, 11.8 ; condylo-incisive length 

 of mandible, 50 ; coronoid-angular depth of mandible. 24.6. 



This is an abundant mammal in the Taita Mountains, where it 

 lives in the forests which clothe the summits. It is used extensively 

 by the Wataito tribe for food, and is known among them as enguvi. 

 The large series in the collection shows remarkably little variation 

 in color. 



CRICETOMYS GAMBIANUS OSGOODI, new subspecies 

 Swahili Giant Rat 



Type from Mazeras, British East Africa; aged male; number 

 181806, U. S. Nat. Mus.; collected by Edmund Heller, December 

 20, 191 1 ; original number, 7425. 



Characters. — Dorsal coloration similar to luteus, but pelage much 

 shorter, only 10 mm. in length on rump ; underparts lighter than 



