a new Genus o/Echimyinse. 115 



spinous, the spines on the hinder back about 30 mm. in 

 length and attaining 2'3 mm. in breadth ; true hair hardly 

 perceptible anywhere, there being only a few short hairs 

 hidden among the bases of the spines, while the covering of 

 the lower surface is also almost wholly spinous. Whisker- 

 bristles very long. General colour above dark brown, 

 punctuated on the shoulders, sides, and rump by buffy. 

 Individually the spines on the dorsal saddle are greyish 

 brown darkening to blackish brown terminally, the lateral 

 and posterior ones with broad buffy tips. On the nape and 

 sides the underlying hairs, which are bright ochraceous buffy, 

 show through the spines and affect the general colour. Under 

 surface dull buffy whitish, a little darker on the chest. Inner 

 sides of arms and legs buffy whitish. Hands and feet dull 

 whitish. Feet comparatively short and broad, as in Mesomys 

 and Echimys. Tail long, its proximal two-thirds almust 

 naked, merely with a few minute scattered bristles on it; 

 these lengthen terminally, and at the end there is a conspicuous 

 vertically distichous brush of long coarse dark brown hairs, 

 of which the longest — those of the upper side — attain over 

 70 mm. in length. 



Skull and teeth as above described. 



Dimensions of the type : — 



Head and body 177 mm.; tail 189; hind foot 30; 

 ear 13. 



Skull : greatest length 43 ; condylo-incisive length 39 ; 

 zygomatic breadth 25 ; nasals 12 ; interorbital breadth 11 ; 

 mastoid breadth 20*3 ; palatilar length 14"2 ; palatal fora- 

 mina 5 ; upper cheek-tooth series 8. 



Hah. (of type). Villa Braga, on the left bank of the Rio 

 TapajoZj just above the first rapids. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 20. 6. 4. 1. Origina' num- 

 ber 142. Collected 8th February, 1917, by Fraulein Dr. E. 

 Snethlage. Presented by the Gi-oeldi Museum. 



This striking and peculiar animal, which was captured by 

 Fraulein Snethlage herself, forms a discovery of the utmost 

 interest, and I have very great pleasure in connecting her 

 name with it, adding, as it does, another to the many remarkable 

 Amazonian mammals which she has been instrumental in 

 bringing to the notice of zoologists. 



ft* 



