Murip&. 307 
extremely imperfect, and is just engaging increased attention. In the 
meanwhile I feel that, while I make use of such material as is now 
available, before long much will have to be revised and corrected 
after the exhaustive inquiries now being made by Dr. Anderson are 
published. 
The Indian families with which we have to deal are but three—the 
Muride, Spalacide, and the Dipodide. The Arvicolide of Jerdon’s 
work is merely a sub-family of AZuride. Of these the MWuride take the 
first place, as containing the greater number of genera. It is estimated 
that the total number of species known of this family throughout the 
world exceed 330, of which probably not more than one-fourth or fifth 
are to be found in India and adjacent countries. 
FAMILY MURIDZ. 
CHARACTER.—“ Lower incisors compressed; no premolars; molars 
rooted or rootless, tuberculate or with angular enamel folds ; frontals 
contracted ; infra-orbital opening in typical forms high, perpendicular, 
wide above and narrowed below, with the lower root of the maxillary 
zygomatic process more or less flattened into a perpendicular plate ; 
very rarely the opening is either large and oval, or small and sub- 
triangular. Malar short and slender, generally reduced to a splint 
between the maxillary and squamosal processes ; external characters 
very variable ; pollex rudimentary, but often with a small nail; tail 
generally sub-naked and scaly, rarely densely haired.” — Adston, ‘P. Z. S.’ 
1876. 
This family is divided into about ten sub-families, of which the Indian 
ones are as follows: Llatacanthyomine ; Gerbilline ; Phleomyine ; 
Murine ; Arvicoline ; Cricetine. 
The other four are Sminthine, Hydromyine, Dendromyine, and 
Siphneine, none of which are found within our limits. 
GENUS. PLATACANTHOMYS. 
CHARACTER.—Molars. 3, divided into transverse laminz ; infra-orbital 
opening as in typical A@wuride ; incisive foramina and auditory bull 
small ; form myoxine (or dormouse-like) ; fur mixed with flat spines ; 
tail densely hairy. The general resemblance of this animal to the 
dormouse (MZyoaus) is striking, to which its hairy tail and its habits 
conduce, but on closer examination its small eyes, thin ears, short 
thumb of the fore-foot bring it into the murine family. The genus was 
x2 
