and allied East- African Species. 3-A9 



from their geographical distribution, and on this account 

 it is necessary to consider all three forms as representing 

 closely allied geograj)hical races. 



Tlie dimensions given by J\[atscliie in his original descrip- 

 tion of neumanni are considerably less than those of the 

 series in the Museum collection from Kilimanjaro and Voi. 

 I cannot, however, find any trace of difference in the general 

 colour described by Matschie and that represented by the 

 Museum series of neumanni; and since the localities are 

 comparatively close together, it seems best to accept them aa 

 all representing a single race, and any discrepancies in size 

 must be regarded as due to variations in age. 



Pelomys reichardi^ described by Noack * from Karema, 

 Tanganyika, may possibly belong to this group, but at present 

 I am quite unable to determine the affinities of this species. 

 The Museum collection contains no specimens of the ahijssini- 

 cus group from as far south as Tanganyika, the most southern 

 locality represented in the collection being Kilimanjaro. 



(13) Arvicanthis zaphiri, sp. n. 



Similar to A. ahyssinicus, Riipp,, but with ventral surface 

 lighter in colour and sharply marked off from the flanks. 



Size of body much as in ahyssinicus ; hind foot a little 

 larger. General colour of upper surface rather richer than 

 that of ahyssinisus, especially posteriorly. No light patches 

 behind ears. Dark dorsal stripe absent. Flanks richer and 

 more buffy in colour. Fore feet like those of abyssinicus, 

 hind feet rather yellower. Belly whitish, hairs with slate- 

 grey bases and white tips ; ventral surface strikingly different 

 from that of abyssinicus, the greyish-white belly being rather 

 sharply marked cfF from the buff-coloured flanks. Faint 

 yellowish stripe down middle of chest and belly. 



Skull with anterior portion of brain-case very much 

 broader than in abyssinicus ; breadth across frontal region, at 

 the fronto-parietal suture (taken outside the supra-orbital 

 ridges), 10 mm., a great deal broader than in abyssinicus. 



Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh) : — 



Head and body 158 mm.; tail 121; hind foot 31; 

 ear 20. 



Skull (occipital region broken) : length from tip of nasals 

 to occipito-parietal suture 31"5 ; zygomatic breadth 18 ; 

 length of nasals 14 ; greatest breadth across nasals 4 ; inter- 

 orbital breadth (i ; breadth of brain-case (across squamosal 

 region) 15*2; palatilar length 16; width of palate inside 



* Zool. Jalnb. 1887, ii. p. 235. 



