ELIOMYS 561 



spicuously larger and heavier than iji E. querciniis, the conclyio- 

 basal length of skull, 36-39 mm. ; colour slightly darker and 

 more brighty russet than in E. quercinus, the tail usually with 

 black sub-terminal area forming a complete ring. 



Colour. — Paratype (No. 46. 11. 21. 1): hairs of back with 

 three distinct colour bands: (1) slate-grey (8 mm.); (2) light 

 buffy grey (2 mm.) ; (3) russet (2 mm.), the extreme tips of hairs 

 whitish. Longer hairs black except for the slate-grey bases. 

 The general eftect is a peculiar dull reddish brown, faintly 

 " lined " by the longer black hairs and a ^ittle "powdered "by 

 the whitish tips to the ordinary hairs. On sides the bufFy grey 

 band becomes longer (4 mm.) and paler (a clearer, more whitish 

 grey), the russet at the same time gradually disappearing. Dark 

 markings of head as in E. quercinus. Tail as in E. quercinus, 

 except that the black ring usually present in E. lusitanicus is 

 indicated on lower surface by dark bases to the hairs in the 

 region where it should occur. 



Specimens from Seville, Spain, resemble the paratype except 

 that the russet of the back is slightly more intense, a difference 

 that might readily be accounted for by their fresher condition, 

 the paratype having been in the Museum collection more than 

 fifty years longer than the others. In live of the Seville skins 

 the black ring on the tail is complete, the black area on under 

 side ranging from 40 mm. to 60 mm. in width. In one, however, 

 as well as in a specimen from Goto DoSana, Province of Huelva, 

 the tail is like that of the paratype, the ring being merely 

 indicated by dark bases to the hairs of the white under surface. 



Skull and teeth. — Except for its noticeably larger size the 

 skull resembles that of Eliomys quercinus. As in the smaller 

 animal, the nasals are truncate or emarginate posteriorly, not 

 pointed as they usually are in the other ring-tailed species, 

 E. iiaUidus and E. sardus. Teeth as in E. quercinus, but appre- 

 ciably larger, the difference more noticeable to the eye than 

 might be supposed from the actual measurements. 



Measurements. — Paratype (sex not known) from Lisbon, 

 Portugal : hind foot, 30. Adult male from Goto Doiaana, Huelva, 

 Spain : head and body, 166 ; tail, 120 ; hind foot, 31 ; ear from 

 meatus, 27. Three adult males fi'om Seville, Spain : hind foot, 

 31, 31 and 32. For cranial measurements see Table, p. 565. 



Specimens examined. — Twelve, from the following localities :^ 



Portugal : Lisbon, 1. 



Spain : Seville, 6 ; Goto Donana, Huelva, 3 ; Jerez, Cadiz, 2. 



RemarJcs. — The South Spanish Eliomys is so readily distin- 

 guishable from the other ring-tailed species by its large size that 

 no special comparisons are required. 



1. Lisbon, Portugal. C. Friend (c & p). 46. 11. 21. 1. 



{Paratype of species.) 

 2 6, ?. Seville, Spain. {Dr. A. Lord Lilford (p). 95. 3. 3. 19-21. 



Ruiz.) 



2 o 



