248 Mr. O. Thomas on Mammals from 



In South Celebes and the Saleyer Islands, besides several 

 desiderata to the Museum collection, Mr. Everett obtained 

 examples of the two following new species : — 



Mvs ccelestisj sp. n. 



Size rather less than Mus fratrorum. Fur long and soft, 

 hairs of back about 18 millira. in length ; no longer bristles 

 intermixed. 



Muzzle unusually long, cylindrical. Eyes small. Ears 

 large, rounded, laid forward in a spirit-specimen they reach 

 to the anterior canthus of the eye. Palate-ridges 3-5. 

 General colour above rich rufous brown (perhaps, in a bright 

 light, nearest to Ridgway's " hazel "), the hairs dark slate 

 for the greater part of their length and just tipped with 

 rufous. The belly is also of much the same colour, only 

 lighter, and the line of demarcation on sides is quite imper- 

 ceptible. 



Fore feet with the dark colour extending on to the meta- 

 carpals, fingers white ; claws exceptionally long and strong, 

 little curved, quite different to those of ordinary rats. Hind 

 feet similarly coloured to the fore ; claws long and strong ; 

 fifth hind toe without claw reaching to the end of the first 

 phalanx of the fourth ; pads, as usual, six in number, large 

 and rounded. Mammai — 2 = 4; clitoris very long and 

 slender. Tail about equal in length to the head and body, 

 finely scaled (about 14 scales to the centimetre), uniformly 

 thinly haired, blackish above, white below, the two colours 

 intergrading on the sides. 



Skull less different from that of ordinary rats than the 

 very peculiar external characters would lead one to expect. 

 Muzzle long and cylindrical, slightly concave upwards near 

 the middle of the nasals. Interorbital region very broad, 

 rounded above, its edges slightly beaded. Interparietal 

 narrow antero-posteriorly. Projection of anterior zygoma- 

 root medium. Anterior palatal foramina about the length of 

 the molar series, and narrow, little open, not reaching back- 

 wards nearly to the level of ^. Bullas small. 



Dimensions of the type (an adult female, in spirit), before 

 skinning : — 



Head and body 148 millim. ; tail 148 ; hind foot without 

 claw 34; ear 26'5xl8. Longest fore claw (above) 4'9, 

 longest hind claw 4 '6 ; heel to front of last foot-pad 16'5. 



Skull : basal length 36*2 ; basilar length from henselion 

 33"7 ; greatest breadth 3 9-4; nasals 15-7 x 3*7; interorbital 

 breadth 6*9, interparietal 3'5 x 9 ; diastema 12*5; palate 



