Swamp-Eats of East Africa. 1G5 



Skull: greatest length 38*2* mm.; basilar length 32; 

 zygomatic breadth 19'6 ; breadth of brain-case ]5*7 ; length 

 of nasals 18 ; greatest breadth across nasals 9*5 ; depth from 

 highest point of orbit to alveolar border at front of m^ 12'6 ; 

 palatilar length ll'l ; length of upper molar series from 

 front alveolar border to back of last molar 9'7. 



Bab. Nyika Plateau, North Nyasa. Altitude GOOO-7000 

 feet. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 97. 10. 1. 107. 



Otomys nyikce is evidently closely related to the South 

 Nyasa species, O.angoniensis; both forms are very similar in 

 general colour, the ventral surface being more strongly tinted 

 with brownish buff in these two Otomys than in any of the 

 other East African forms. In size nyikce is rather smaller ; 

 the skulls may be distinguished by the shape of the nasals, 

 those of nyikce being exceptionally broad and flat and compara- 

 tively short, while in angoniensis they are narrower, rather 

 more curved, and longer, 



(17) Otomys nyikce canescens, Osg. 



Ofomi/s nyikce canescens, Osgood, Field Mus.Nat. Hist. Publication, 141, 

 Zool. Ser. vol. x. no. 2, p, 10 (1910). 



Agrees with 0. nyikce in having a short thick skull vvitli 

 short, very broad nasals. 



General colour much paler and greyer ; on the dorsal 

 surface there is an almost entire absence of the russet tint 

 so conspicuous in nyikce, its place being taken by a pale olive- 

 grey wash. 



Skull like that of nyihv, with broadly expanded nasals ; 

 teeth fairly large, m^ with 7 laminae. 



Dimensions of type (as given by Osgood) : — 



Head and body 175 mm. ; tail 81 ; iiind foot 29 (c. u.) ; 

 ear 19*5. 



Skull: greatest length 37*2; basilar length 30-9; zygo- 

 matic breadth 19"6 ; length of nasals 17*1; greatest breadth 

 of nasals 8*5 ; depth from highest point of orbit to alveolar 

 border at front of mM2*8 ; postpalatal length 13"8 ; maxillary 

 tootii-row 8*4. 



In a specimen from Mt. Suswa, quite close (o the type- 

 locality, the upper molar series measures from the front 

 alveolar border to the back of m^ 9 mm. in length. 



Hah. Kijabe, Naivasha District, British East Africa. 



This race is represented in the collection by specimens 



* In Wroiighton's original description, the skull^dimensions given p,r§ 

 not those of the tvpe. 



