30 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. Ill, 



If these figures are examined it will be seen that the skulls of 

 the Ncsokice as compared with those of Gunomys are broader, have 

 somewhat shorter nasals, very much shorter foramina, and longer 

 molar series. They also show that on the whole the longest skulls 

 have the smallest teeth ; the longest skull of all — P. C. M. 2 — also 

 approaches the type of Gunomys in having relatively the longest 

 palatine foramen. On the whole, however, there is no evidence 

 that the longest skulls possess the longest palatine foramina. 



There is little doubt that these twenty-four Nesokice repre- 

 sent two races, a larger and a smaller. The small race is perhaps 

 confined to the immediate neighbourhood of the village of 

 Atari. 



Habits. — Before leaving the subject of the Punjab mole-rats, 

 it must be mentioned that not a single individual was found in a 

 dwelling-house or building of any description, although the mea- 

 sures against rats were so thorough that both Miis mettada and 

 Gerbilius indicus were on rare occasions caught in dwelling-houses. 

 This is most remarkable, for there is not the slightest doubt that 

 the mole-rat, Gunomys, is a common house rat in Calcutta, Ran- 

 goon, Dacca and Darjiling. 



Pjb. 7, Mus mettada — 



Thirty-seven of these field rats have been received from Cap- 

 tain Davys. Of these fifteen are considered to be adult, though 

 there is some doubt as to the maturit}' of the smallest of them. 

 The large proportion of young ones in the collection is due to 

 the fact that when this rather uncommon rat has been met with, 

 one or both parents together with their brood have been dug 

 out from a burrow and the whole sent together to the Museum. 

 Usually a mature female with her brood of two to four 3'oung have 

 been received. These families are all from the neighbourhood of 

 Amritsar. but were obtained at different times and in different 

 parts of the district. Some of the broods show characteristic 

 peculiarities of their own, equivalent to the famil}' likeness among 

 mankind ; although the peculiarities which constitute a family 

 likeness are trivial in degree, the}' are measurable, and are as large 

 as those on which "species" of rats. have been (I do not say, 

 usually are) established. 



Because of a recent attempt [6] to split up the Mettads of a 

 small part of India into three species, it has been thought well 

 to give the full measurements of all the adults which we have 

 received. 



The whole collection of adults has been arranged in a series 

 as regards their length. As the number dealt with is small, it is 

 impossible to say what the mean length is ; it is probabl}' about 

 145. If, instead of arranging tliem in series, they are placed in 

 groups according to occasions on which the}^ w^ere received, they 

 present the following: Group A 132; B 154, 140, 150, 130 ; C. 

 114, 128 ; I •. E 145, IJ4 ; F 142, 157 ; G 154 , H 146. 



