﻿574 
  Mr. 
  0. 
  Thomas 
  on 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Saiitliers 
  had 
  lieard 
  of 
  this 
  interesting 
  inhabitant 
  of 
  

   the 
  Cordobii 
  highlands 
  for 
  some 
  time, 
  and 
  has 
  at 
  last 
  been 
  

   able 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  hunter's 
  skin 
  of 
  it. 
  IMiough 
  without 
  a 
  skull, 
  

   there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  whatever 
  either 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  affinities 
  or 
  of 
  

   its 
  distinctness 
  from 
  any 
  previously 
  described 
  species. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Smithers 
  that 
  we 
  already 
  owe 
  the 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  Azara's 
  fox 
  which 
  I 
  took 
  as 
  typical 
  of 
  Psend- 
  

   alopex 
  azaricay 
  and 
  I 
  now 
  have 
  great 
  pleasure 
  in 
  connecting 
  

   his 
  name 
  with 
  the 
  present 
  striking 
  animal, 
  in 
  whose 
  discovery 
  

   he 
  has 
  been 
  instrumental. 
  

  

  Mlcrosciurus 
  avunculus, 
  sp. 
  n. 
  

  

  Closely 
  similar 
  to 
  M. 
  na/>i, 
  but 
  markedly 
  larger 
  throughout. 
  

  

  Size 
  a 
  little 
  larger 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  described 
  species. 
  General 
  

   colour 
  above 
  finely 
  grizzled 
  olive-brown, 
  the 
  fore 
  back 
  slightly 
  

   greyer, 
  the 
  hind 
  back 
  warmer. 
  Chest 
  greyish 
  " 
  cinnamon- 
  

   buH," 
  not 
  such 
  a 
  bright 
  ochraceous 
  as 
  in 
  AI. 
  ruhrirostria 
  ; 
  

   belly 
  and 
  inner 
  sides 
  of 
  hind 
  limbs 
  dull 
  tawn}^ 
  toned 
  down 
  

   by 
  the 
  slaty 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  hairs. 
  Crown 
  finely 
  ticked 
  with 
  

   ochraceous, 
  a 
  little 
  warmer 
  than 
  nape, 
  more 
  like 
  hind 
  back, 
  

   not 
  so 
  ochraceous 
  as 
  in 
  rubriroslris. 
  Ears 
  with 
  their 
  inner 
  

   surface 
  grizzled 
  ochraceous 
  ; 
  outer 
  surface 
  grey 
  anteriorly, 
  

   with 
  a 
  large 
  whitish 
  patch 
  posteriorly, 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  

   patch 
  buffy. 
  Hands 
  and 
  feet 
  grizzled 
  ochraceous. 
  Edges 
  

   of 
  (ail 
  pale 
  buffy. 
  

  

  Skull 
  conspicuously 
  larger 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  M. 
  napi, 
  about 
  as 
  

   in 
  Af. 
  ruhrirostris. 
  

  

  Dimensions 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Hind 
  foot, 
  s. 
  u. 
  39, 
  c. 
  u. 
  42 
  mm. 
  ; 
  ear 
  15. 
  

  

  Skull 
  : 
  tip 
  of 
  nasals 
  to 
  front 
  of 
  interparietal 
  35*5 
  ; 
  condjlo- 
  

   incisive 
  length 
  34 
  ; 
  zygomatic 
  breadth 
  23'3 
  ; 
  nasals 
  11 
  x 
  4*8 
  ; 
  

   interorbital 
  breadth 
  14*2 
  ; 
  breadth 
  of 
  brain-case 
  19 
  ; 
  palatal 
  

   length 
  16; 
  tooth-row 
  (exclusive 
  o^ 
  p^) 
  6'2. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Orieute 
  of 
  Ecuador. 
  Type 
  from 
  Gualaquiza 
  ; 
  alt. 
  

   2500'. 
  

  

  TTjpe. 
  Young 
  adult 
  male. 
  B.M. 
  no. 
  14. 
  4. 
  25. 
  53. 
  

   Original 
  number 
  312. 
  Collected 
  31st 
  November, 
  1913, 
  by 
  

   Gilbert 
  Hammond. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Oldfield 
  Thomas. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  in 
  colour 
  quite 
  like 
  Al. 
  napi, 
  which 
  occurs 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  region, 
  but 
  is 
  so 
  much 
  larger, 
  as 
  evidenced 
  by 
  

   its 
  skull- 
  and 
  tooth-measurements, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  clearly 
  different. 
  

   It 
  is 
  probably 
  most 
  nearly 
  related 
  to 
  J\l. 
  ruhricoUis, 
  the 
  species 
  

   I 
  have 
  always 
  regarded 
  as 
  M. 
  peruanus, 
  Allin, 
  but 
  is 
  distin- 
  

   guished 
  from 
  both 
  by 
  its 
  much 
  duller 
  and 
  less 
  contrasted 
  

   under 
  surface. 
  

  

  