1909.] R. E. Lloyd : The Races of Indian Rats 37 



Ksh. 2— 



This heading is reserved for one rat which possesses a uni- 

 coloured dark tail. The appendage is incomplete, so its length is 

 unknown. The fur is plentiful, but the component hairs are 

 shorter and stiifer than in most of the eight rats included in group 

 Ksh. I. 



Ksh. 3, Gunomys wardi — 



One specimen was obtained. The dry skin measured 220 mm. 

 in length, the tail 120. The fur is long, soft and plentiful ; bristles 

 are present but inconspicuous. The skull has a long palatine fora- 

 men measuring 10 mm., the molar series being i mm. less than this. 



Simla. 



We have received from Captain G. I. Davys fift3^-eight speci- 

 mens of the Mus rattus type, and three mole-rats of this place. It 

 was somewhat surprising to find that none of the fifty-eight pos- 

 sessed bicoloured tails, for this is the characteristic feature of Mus 

 vicerex, a species which was described in 1903 from eleven rats caught 

 in Simla. This anomaly is explained by the supposition that the 

 eleven rats from which the type of Mus vicerex was chosen were all 

 caught within one limited area in the Simla district. This supposi- 

 tion will be vindicated in considering the rats of Naini Tal. 



Of the fifty-eight specimens nearly all are of the white-bellied 

 type. As regards size and length of tail they scarcely differ 

 from the Punjab type of Mus rattus. The collection contains 

 many juveniles, but among rats measuring over 150 mm. in length, 

 those of 170 mm. are in the majority; but there are two specimens 

 which measure over 200 mm. 



The tail length is about 115 % of the length. This is short 

 for Mus rattus, but not shorter than is found in some groups of the 

 Punjab rats. The tails of all of them are black or blackish brown, 

 and show the same depth of pigmentation on the upper and lower 

 surfaces. The collection will be divided in the following manner : — 



Sml. I — 



This group includes three rats which do not show white fur on 

 any part of the body. They do not, however, closely resemble one 

 another in colour. One of them is semi-melanotic ; it is, however, 

 a young rat, and such are generally darker in tone than adults. 



Sml. 2 — 



This includes the remaining fifty-five, all of which show some 

 white fur. They may be arbitrarily divided into the following 

 sub-groups : — 



Type A. — Contains seven specimens of the pure white-bellied 

 type in which every hair on the belly, breast and throat is pure 

 white. 



