belonging to the Genus Crocidura. 521 



Skull of same specimen : condylo-iucisive length 31 ; 

 greatest breadth 12"9 ; least interorbital breadth 5"7 ; length 

 of palate 14-6 ; postpalatal length 14-5; greatest maxillary 

 breadth 10 ; length of upper tooth-row 15*2. 



Hab. Gaboon, West Africa. 



The only specimen in the collection which at all re- 

 sembles Leconte's brief description is the one fi'om Cette 

 Cama, Gaboon, the dimensions of which have been given 

 above. 



This large species may be distinguished from manni by its 

 browner colour, narrower skull, and less cylindrical and more 

 tapering tail. 



(4) Crocidura occidentalls, Puch. 



Pachynra occidentalis, Pucheran, Rev. et Mag. Zool. p. 151 (1855) ; 



Arch. Mils. X. p. 121, pi. xii. (18G1). 

 Pachyura cequatorialis, Pucheran, Rev. et Mag. Zool. p. 154 (1855) ; 



Arch. Mus. x. p. 127, pi. xii. (18(51). 

 Crocidura petersi, Dobson, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (U) vi. p. 495 (1890). 



Size fairly large, about as in nyansce, smaller than either 

 manni or odor at a. 



General colour (in bleached pelage) reddish brown 

 (" Prout^s brown •'^), slightly paler on the flanks. Under- 

 parts dull grey washed with buff ; new vinbleached fur 

 dark sepia-brown ("clove-brown^' mixed with ''blackish 

 brown (1)"), much darker than in the bleached state. 

 Backs of hands and feet brownish. Tail brown above and 

 below; caudal bristles fairly numerous. 



Pucheran's preliminary diagnosis of this species is as 

 follows : — " Supra rufescens, infra dilutior ; cauda, basi 

 crassi, tertiani corporis partem tantum superante.^' In 

 1861 a fuller description appeared in the ' Archives du 

 Museum,' in which the following information is given: — 

 " L'individu qui nous a servi pour etablir cette espece, est 

 roussatre sur le dessus et les cotes de la tete, le dessus du 

 cou, le dos et I'exterieur des niembres. Les polls sont 

 dans toutes ces parties, d'un ceudre clair dans presque touie 

 leur etendue, et roussatre a leurs pointes. Le museau 

 presque en entier est noiratre. Sur les flancs et en dessous, 

 depnis le menton jusqu'a la region anale, de meme qu'a 

 I'interieur des membres, Je fond de couleur, indique plus 

 haut, devient plus terne et plus blanchatre, par suite de 

 rafltaiblissement des teintes dans le mode de coloration 

 du poll. ..." It is evident from these descriptions that 

 the individual on which occidentalis was founded was in 

 the bleached coat, and not in the new dark sepia-coloured 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol. xv. '65 



