MUS. 



43 



Length. — Head and body G to 7 inches^ tail 5 5 to 7 inches, hairs at 

 tip of tail ^ inch. 



Hah. — Sind, Kutch, Western India generally, Punjab, N. W. Pro- 

 vinces, Beloochistan and Afghanistan, (Chaman) affecting* the unculti- 

 vated and sandy plains, where it burrows to a depth of from 4 to 5 feet. 

 GerbilluS Hurrianse, Jerdon, Mam. Ind. p. 186; Blanfordt 

 Eastern Persia, Y>' 68; Murray, Hdhh., ZooL, <^-c., Siud, p. 68. G. 

 erythrourus, Jerd. ibid. nee. Gray. 



Much smaller than the last, the tail and ears also comparatively 

 shorter. Above, the fur is pale rufous or sandy, 

 with fine dusky lines, the hairs being blackish at 

 the base, isabelline near the point with short 

 dusky tips. A few longer hairs on the rump and 

 thighs. Sides slightly paler with a few dusky 

 lines. Lower parts whitish, tinged more or less 

 with fawn colour on the belly, the line of demarca- 

 tion of the two colours not strongly marked. Tail 

 concolorous with the back, wdtli a line of dusky 

 hairs along the upper surface of the terminal 

 portion, becoming longer near the tip, the hairs 

 at the tip being §ths of an inch long ; ears small, 

 round, thinly covered with short hair on the out- 

 side and near the hinder margin within ; whiskers 

 of moderate length ; black above, white below ; 

 feet pale, hind ones thinly covered with whitish 

 hairs below, except on the posterior half of the 

 tarsus; soles of forefeet naked. Mammse eight, — 

 two pectoral and two inguinal pairs. 



Length. — Head and body 5 to 5j inches, tail 



,, , X iu f 5 to 6 inches, hind foot 1 inch. 



1, Molar teeth of apper ' 



jaw, enlarged three cliams. Ilab. — Abundant all over the Province to the 



2 & 3, Skull of GerUllus Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Kutch, Beloochistan and 



EurriancB, nat. size. Afghanistan,livinginburrowsattherootsof bushes. 



Mus, Lin. — Incisors usually smooth in front. Ears rather rounded, 

 and somewhat naked. Tail long, scaly, haired. 



The synonoray of the Indian species of the genus Miis, which 

 hitherto was in so much confusion, has now been cleared up by the 

 labours of Dr. J. Anderson,* Superintendent of the Indian Museum, 

 and Mr. Oldfield Thomas,f of the British Museum. Both eminent 

 Naturalists have had access to large collections of typical specimens, 

 as materials to work upon, and the result is an excellent synopsis of 

 the species by Mr. Oldfield Thomas; that of the sub-genus Nesokia 

 has been based on Dr. Anderson^s sections in the paper already quoted. 



The following are the sub-genera into which the Indian species of Mus 

 have been divided : — 



(1) Nesokia, (2) Mas, (3) Leggada, and (4) Vandeluria. Of these 

 the two first only are represented in Sind. 



* J. A. S. B. vol. 47, 1878, plates. 



t P. Z. S. 1881, plates. 



