THE ALEXANDRINE RAT 599 
may be present on the forehead, and there may be some white on the 
feet. 
The young have the fur softer, and their backs are of a richer and 
more lustrous black than in the adults; these features are chiefly 
due to the feeble development or absence of the whitish bristles. 
Geographical variation :—Specimens brought from Black Sea ports 
to London were described by Millais as a distinct sub-species, 
E. ry. ater ; this was said to differ from true va¢tus in its deeper and 
richer pelage, its glossy black back, which presented a curious green 
sheen in a bright light, white or grey hair-bases, and slightly longer 
tail. Similar specimens were recorded by Millais from the Black Sea 
ports, Crimea, and various parts of Africa, and he states this variety 
to be the only one met with in the Transvaal. Miller does not 
distinguish this form from 7. vattus. We have examined the type, an old 
male, together with specimens in the British Museum from Deelfontein, 
and as a result are inclined to adopt Miller's view. Nevertheless, there 
is probably some foundation’ for Millais’ sub-species, since ~ rattus 
may have developed independently in various parts of Europe at 
various times from quite different “wild-coloured” invading stocks. 
It may be added that, like all its relatives, this sub-species shows a 
tendency to develop races adjusted to the needs of purely local condi- 
tions. It is difficult to see where true ra¢tws now exists, except perhaps 
in such localities as Sark and the Orkneys (South Ronaldshay).! 
(2.) THE ALEXANDRINE RAT. 
Epimys rattus alexandrinus, Geoffroy. 
1803. MUS ALEXANDRINUS, I. Geoffroy St Hilaire, Cat. Wammif. du Mus. Nat. 
@ Hist. Nat., Paris, 192; Descr. de PEgypte, Hist. Nat., ii., 733, Atlas, pl. v., fig. 1, 
1812 ; described from Alexandria, Egypt ; Savi; in part of de Selys-Longchamps 
and Blasius. 
1905. MUS RATTUS ALEXANDRINUS, J. L. Bonhote, Proc. Zool. Soc., London, 1909, 
794, and 1910, 654. 
1g10. MUS (EPIMYS) RATTUS ALEXANDRINUS, E. L. Trouessart, “aune des Mammif. 
@ Europe, 144 (in part). 
1912. EPIMYS RATTUS ALEXANDRINUS, G. S. Miller, Cat. WVamm. West Europe, 854 
(in part). 
As suggested long ago by Savi (Vuovo Giorn. de’ Letteratz, Pisa, x., 
74, 1825), in defining his Mus ¢ectorum, the name alexandrinus should 
be restricted to the sub-species figured by Geoffroy in 1812 (/oc. cit., sup.), 
1 “Black and Alexandrine Rats” were taken in 1890 on a Leith steamer ; the 
wild-coloured forms are abundant on some Scotch coasting vessels (W. Eagle Clarke, 
Scott. Nat., 1891, 36, and W. Evans, Supplement). 
