12 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 63 



LEMNISCOMYS DORSALIS MEARNSI, new subspecies 



Kikuyu Single-striped Grass Rat 



Type from Fort Hall, British East x\frica, altitude 6,200 feet; 

 adult female, number 1636 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; collected by J. Alden 

 Loring, September 11, 1909; original number 7152. 



Characters. — Lemniscomys dorsalis mcarnsi is an intensely fer- 

 ruginous form of dorsalis differing from the Taita race maculosus 

 by richer coloring and larger size. The rump and hindlegs are bright 

 ferruginous which, farther forward on the shoulders, becomes less 

 intense and quite ochraceous in tone. The underparts are uniform 

 white in sharp contrast to the bright ochraceous-rufous sides. 



The flesh measurements of the type are : head and body, 131 mm. ; 

 tail, 140; hindfoot, 31; ear, 12. Skull: condylo-incisive length, 33; 

 zygomatic breadth, 17; interorbital breadth, 5; nasals, 4.4x13; 

 length of upper tooth row, 6.5 ; diastema, 9.3 ; length of incisive 

 foramina, 7. 



Two other specimens from Fort Hall complete the series of this 

 race which represents altitudinal as well as inland limits of this 

 coast species. 



ACOMYS IGNITIS MONT^NUS, new subspecies 



Marsabit Spiny Mouse 



Type from the north slope of Mount Marsabit, British East Africa ; 

 altitude 4,600 feet; adult female; number 182901 U. S. Nat. Mus.; 

 collected February 26, 191 1, by A. Blayne Percival; original number, 



309- 



Characters. — Resembling A corny s ignitus in general features as 



well as in quality of the pelage but coloration much grayer and duller 

 and size larger. Dorsal coloration vinaceous-drab, the sides brighter 

 or pure vinaceous but not sharply marked from the darker mid- 

 dorsal region. Underparts and feet pure white, the hair white to the 

 roots. Tail and eafs drab-gray. 



Flesh measurements of the type : head and body, 90 mm. ; tail, 92 ; 

 hindfoot, 17; ear, 16.5. Skull w^anting. Another topotype also with 

 skull missing is in the collection. The race is a mountain form living 

 at an elevation of 4,000 feet or more and is larger and duller colored 

 than the low desert forms to which it is related all of which are con- 

 fined to the lower desert levels below 2,500 feet in altitude. 



