1909.] R. E. Lloyd : The Races of Indian Rats. 41 



from the root. In only one specimen does the dorsal pigmentation 

 reach to the tip of the tail ; plate iv, fig. 4, shows the tail of this 

 rat as viewed from the side. In four specimens the pigmentation 

 reaches onl}^ a short distance, so that most of the upper surface 

 as well as the lower surface is pure white (fig. i). In three others 

 it reaches up to or bej^ond the middle of the tail but does not reach 

 the tip ; the tail of one of these latter, which was preserved in 

 alcohol, is shown in plate i, fig. 26. It was not possible to 

 photograph the others for they were preserved as stuffed skins, 

 in which state the lower surface of the tail is yellowish grey like 

 old parchment, and that sharp contrast which is so necessary for 

 photographic reproduction is lost. The figures on plate iv were 

 drawn from the stuffed specimens. The contrast between the 

 pigmented upper surface and the lower surface is much better shown 

 in plate i, which is a reproduction of a photograph. 



The partial albinism of the tail of each of these rats shows 

 clearly that they must be of intimate relationship ; they are in 

 fact a large famil}' group or a small race, but one cannot tell, from 

 the eight specimens, what the type of that race is. 



The single specimen with the wholly bicoloured tail resembles, 

 as regards its tail, many known species, — Mus vicerex, niveiventer, 

 jerdoni, hukit, rapit, all these being highland rats. This single 

 specimen, however, cannot be considered as the ' ' type ' ' of the 

 group. At least two of them, one of which is illustrated in plate i, 

 resemble Mus berdmorei of Tenasserim and Manipur. 



The skulls of these rats are of the Mus rattus tj-pe. The 

 biological interest of the group is further discussed on page 89. 



Darjiling. 



A small collection was recently made in this district by ]\Ir. 

 Hodgart. This includes five of the Mus rattus group and eleven 

 mole-rats. The five specimens of Mus rattus are from three separate 

 places — Darjiling, Ghoom and Sonada. They will be considered to- 

 gether with five rats which were caught by Dr. Hossack in Darjiling. 



Djl. I- 



The ten rats resemble one another so closely that they must 

 be members of one pure-bred race ; their skulls are of the Mus rattus 

 type ; they are covered with abundant long soft fur, in which the 

 brown element is so poorly developed that the tone of the dorsal 

 surface is almost black. Each hair on the ventral surface is of a 

 dark slate-colour, with a fawn-coloured tip. The tails are much 

 shorter than those of lowland rats. In every specimen, the upper 

 surfaces of the feet are covered with white hair, the soles being 

 deeply pigmented. This race is as distinct as the Kashmir race, 

 Ksh. I, which it resembles only in the softness of the fur and the 

 shortness of the tail. Dr. Hossack, who considered the race to be 

 Mus nitidus, observed that the tails of these Darjiling rats were 

 somewhat lighter below than above. The tails of rats from many 



