8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 63 



The flesh measurements were : head and body, 225 mm. ; tail, 283 ; 

 hindfoot, 55; ear, 18. Skull; condylo-incisive length, 50; zygomatic 

 breadth, 32; nasals, 18x8.2; interorbital width, 17; postorbital 

 width, 16.5 ; length of upper tooth row, ii ; diastema, 1 1.5. 



This squirrel is confined to the remnant of forest covering the 

 extreme summit of the Taita Hills, where it is very rare. The type 

 was the only individual seen during a fortnight's stay on the summit 

 of Umengo Mountain. It has been compared with the type of 

 undidatus which was collected by Dr. L. W. Abbott on Mount 

 Kilimanjaro and is now in the National Museum. Among the 

 Wataita tribe this squirrel is known as " shindi." 



TATERA NIGRACAUDA PERCIVALI, new subspecies 

 Lorian Black-tailed Gerbille 



Type from the Lorian Swamp, British East Africa, altitude 700 

 feet; adult female, number 183945, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; collected by 

 A. Blayney Percival ; original number 792. 



Characters. — Tatera nigricauda percivali differs from the race 

 iconica from the middle course of the Guaso Nyiro drainage by its 

 duller or paler dorsal coloration, the reduction of black lining on 

 the back and the smaller body size. The pelage throughout is much 

 shorter and thinner, a condition brought about by the extremely arid 

 and hot conditions of the Lorian desert which lies at an altitude of 

 only 700 feet. 



Flesh measurements: head and body, 133 mm.; tail, 170; hind- 

 foot, 35; ear, 21. Skull: condylo-incisive length, 35.5; zygomatic 

 breadth, 20; interorbital breadth, 8 ; nasals, 4 X 16.5 ; length of upper 

 tooth row, 6.5; diastema, 10.8; length of incisive foramina, 7.8; 

 mastoid breadth of skull, 18.2. 



The type is the only specimen in the National Museum. 



EPIMYS liAISERI TURNERI, new subspecies 

 Kavirondo Bush Rat 



Type from Kisumu, British East Africa ; adult female, number 

 183395, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; collected by H. J. Allen Turner ; original 

 number 5 121. 



Characters. — Nearest in coloration to Epimys kaiseri hindei of the 

 Athi River drainage but decidedly darker, the dorsal surface russet 

 rather than ochraceous, the underparts gray instead of buff, and the 



