new African Mammals. 91 



being about one-sixth of a millimetre, and the opening itself 

 rather farther back than usual, though not so far as in 

 L. tenella. In the usual correlation with this character the 

 zygomatic plate is shorter than usual, and its masseteric knob 

 is slightly nearer its posterior than its anterior edi>e. 



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



Head and body 51 mm. ; tail 44 ; hind foot 12*5; ear 12. 



Skull: greatest length 17"5; basilar length 13'5 ; greatest 

 breadth 9*2 ; nasals 6*8 ; upper molar series 2*9. 



Hab. Molopo, W. of Morokwen, Northern Bechuanaland. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 4. 10. 1. 86. Original 

 number 94. Collected 15th July, 1904, by K. B. Woosnam. 



This beautiful little desert species is widely different from 

 any other Leggada. Curiously enough, the other specimen 

 obtained with it*, and superficially very like it, proves to 

 be a local subspecies of the ordinary Central African species 

 L. bella (see above). 



Leggada triton m ur i ( 'la, subsp. n. 



Colour very much as in true Mus musculut, therefore paler 

 and greyer than in the mountain forms L. triton of Elgon and 

 fors of Ruwenzori. Upper surface nearest to sepia of Ridg- 

 way, rather paler on sides and becoming faintly buffy along 

 the edge of the belly colour. Under surface greyish white, 

 the hairs slaty for two-thirds of their length ; line of demar- 

 cation on sides not sharply marked. Hands and feet dull 

 white. 



Dimensions of the type : — 



Head and body (c.) 70 mm. ; tail 50 ; hind foot 16. 



Skull : greatest length 22 - 5 ; upper molar series 3'7. 



Hab. (of type). Machakos, British E. Africa. Alt. 5400'. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 1. 12. 9. 13. Original 

 number 92. Collected 14th June, 1901, and presented by 

 Dr. S. L. Hinde. 



On comparing all the grey-bellied Leggadas of this group 

 it would appear that triton and fors are mountain forms from 

 Elgon and Ruwenzori respectively of a widely-spread species 

 very like Mus muscidus in general appearance. The mountain 

 forms are much darker and more '* saturate " than murilla, 

 whose range extends from East Africa and Uganda southward 

 into North-eastern Rhodesia. Owing to the accidental delay 

 in the publication of the Ruwenzori report, the name triton 

 takes precedence of fors for the primary name of the species. 



* Cf. Lerjrjada minutoides, Schwann, F. Z.S. 190<i, i. p. 110. 



