On a new Rat from Tenasserim, 425 



originally placed it. The attempt made by Milue- Edwards 

 and Filhol, and, comparatively recently, by Trouessart, to 

 include it in the Felidae or in a special family associated 

 with the Felidse must bring about an extension of the 

 detinition of that family or group, with the result that the 

 definition ceases to be of scientific value. It is significant 

 that no such definition was attempted. For my part I quite 

 agree with Lonnberg that the cross-resemblances Crypto- 

 procta exhibits to other families of iEluroids, coupled with 

 its own peculiarities, entitle it to rank as a family by itself; 

 and this family is susceptible of definition as precise as that 

 of the Felidse or Hyaenidse. 



XLIX. — A neio Rat from Tenasserim. 

 By Oldfikld Thomas. 



(PuUislied by peruiissiou of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



Epiinys tenaster^ sp. n. 



Quite like E. cremoriventer, Miller, but much larger. The 

 fur similarly spiny, the colour huffy or ocliraceous with 

 shiirply defined under surface, and the tail similarly well 

 haired, uniformly brown. 



Skull conspicuously larger than that of cremoriventer^ 

 proportionally perhaps somewhat narrower. Supraorbital 

 ridges well developed, evenly curved, not forming marked 

 postorbital angles as in E. surifer. 



Dimensions of the type (measured on the spirit-speci- 

 men) : — 



Head and body 160 mm. ; tail 208 ; hind foot 33*3 ; 

 ear 24. 



Skull : greatest length 42*3 ; condylo-incisive length 37*7 ; 

 zygomatic breadth 18'8 ; nasals 16*3 ; interorbital breadth 

 G'8 ; breadth across parietal ridges 15*4 ; palatilar length 

 17'8 ; palatal foramina 7 ; upper molar series 6'5. 



Bab. Mount Muleyit, Tenasserim. Alt. 5000-6000'. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 88. 12. 1. 53. Collected by 

 L. Fea, and presented by the Marquis G. Doria. 



This is one of two species put by me under the erroneous 

 heading of Miis jerdonij Blyth, in my account of the Fea 

 collection, the other being a smaller form recently named by 

 Mr. Miller Epimt/s gracilis, and closely allied to E. hukit. 

 E. tenaster appears to be only nearly related to the Malayan 

 E. cremorivoUer, from which the dimensions given above will 

 readily distinguish it. 



