new African Rodents. 281 



female. Collected July 22nd, 1905, by Robin Kemp. Ori- 

 ginal No. 4. 



Characters. — Most similar to typical Cricetomys gambianus, 

 but darker coloured; back more extensively dusky; sides 

 and underparts with a strong tinge of vinaceous ; dark brown 

 areas on fore and hind feet more extensive, the white largely 

 confined to the toes and the outer side of the hind feet; light 

 and dark sections of tail about evenly divided. Skull small, 

 with small molars and extremely small audital bulla?, ; rostrum 

 short and decidedly convex between the maxillary branches 

 of the zygomata; palate with a minute median posterior 

 notch. 



Measurements. — Type: total length 670 mm.; head and 

 body 310 ; tail-vertebrae 360; hind foot (s. u.) 65 ; ear 38. 

 Skull of type : greatest length 65'8 ; basilar length 55 ; 

 zygomatic breadth 32'4 ; nasals 27 ; least interorbital breadth 

 10; postpalatal length 21'7 ; diastema 212; palatine slits 

 7"3 ; maxillary tooth-row (crowns) 10"7. 



Remarks. — Instead of showing any resemblance to the dark 

 coast forms poensis and dolichops, which are geographically 

 near, this form is closely similar to the pale form of Senegal 

 and Gambia, which it now appears is true gambianui. ft 

 seems quite possible that it ranges well into the interior, since 

 two specimens from Mombattu, Northern Congo (Nos. 87. 12. 

 1.52-53, B.M.), appear to be very closely allied to, if not 

 identical with, it. These being from the same region as 

 P. g. emini, which is a large-toothed form, suggests the 

 possibility that the small-toothed forms of West Africa are 

 distinct from the large-toothed ones of East and South 

 Central Africa. 



Cricetomys gambianus liberice, sub>p. n. 



Type from 50 miles inland from Monrovia, Liberia, 

 West Africa. B.M. no. 4. 6. 2. 13. Old female. Collected 

 by A. Whyte. 



Characters. — Most similar to Cricetomys gambianus poensis, 

 but colour slightly paler and skull somewhat different ; tail 

 more extensively white, the dark and light about in the pro- 

 portion 3:2^; posterior border of palate without spine; 

 ascending branches of premaxilla? broad; audital bullae 

 slightly larger than in poensis. 



Measurements. — Skull of type : greatest length 74'5 mm.; 

 basilar length 62 - 5 ; nasals 30*2 ; least interorbital breadth 

 9*9; postpalatal length 24 ; diastema 25'1 ; palatine slits 7'4; 

 maxillary tooth-row (crowns) 9*9. 



Ann. & Mag. X. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol. v. 20 



