24 



Records of the Indian Museum. 



[Vol III 



and produces about ten young at a birth. The}' form a concrete 

 group sharply defined from all others ; in deference to the latest 

 nomenclature they are spoken of as Gunomys. They were long 

 known as Nesokia hengalcnsis. 



From the collection eightj^-five specimens have been selected 

 as undou1)ted adults, and these alone have been examined in detail. 

 The actual lengths of the specimens are shown on plate \. The}' 

 vary from 173 — 235 mm. , and form a continuous and almost unbroken 

 series. The line of dots is flatter in the middle and steeper at the 

 ends, individuals of mediocre length being in the majority. Over 

 half the total number are between 192 and 207 mm. in length. The 

 five individuals above 230 mm., which are somewhat separated 

 from the others, are all large males ; there is no evidence that the}^ 

 are a separate race because of their size. The percentage of tail 

 length in the length of each individual is shown by the zigzag At. 

 which varies from 60 — 83 with an average of 70 or a little over. 

 The length of their hind feet is shown by the line Af.; it is on an 

 average about 16 % of the length. 



Comparing these with Hossack's measurements of fifty mole- 

 rats of Calcutta, we see that the Punjab mole-rat is somewhat larger 

 than the Calcutta one. The slight difference in the tail and foot 

 percentages ma}^ be explained by the different way in which the 

 measurements were taken in the two cases (seepage 18). The differ- 

 ence in length, however, seems too great to be explained in this way. 



In the character of the fur the Punjab race differs considerably 

 from the Calcutta race, so that it would be almost always possible 

 to recognise individual specimens from either place, among a mixed 

 collection. One cannot, however, describe a Punjab type, as there 

 is great variation among the specimens. Two individuals will be 

 described : Specimen T. N. X. 3, a large female measuring 200, 

 I33j 32, 12; specimen K. R. S. 3, a large male measuring 210, 

 158, 34, 10. 



Up to a certain point one description will suffice for both. The 

 colour of the two animals is alike, and in general terms may be des- 

 cribed as dark greyish brown above, passing gradually into light 

 grey below. The hairs which compose the dorsal fur are in both 

 animals about 2 cm. long, the basal two-thirds of each hair being 

 of the colour of a dark slate, the apical third being of a particular 



