THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY 



[SEVENTH SERIES.] 



" per litora spargite museum. 



Naiades, et circiun vitreos considite fontes : 

 Polliee virgineo teneros hie earpite flores : 

 Floribus et pictum, divae, replete canistrum. 

 At vos, o Nymphae Craterides, ite sub uadas ; 

 Ite, recurvato variata corallia trunco 

 Vellite muscosia e rupibus. et mihi conchas 

 Ferte, Deae pelagi, et pingui conchylia succo." 



N.PartheniiGiannettasi, Eol. 1. 



No. 7. JULY 1898. 



I. — On the Nomenclature and Distribution of some of the 

 Rodents of South Africa, with Descriptions of new Species. 

 By W. E. DE WlNTON. 



Since the days of Dr. Andrew Smith, until within the last 

 year or two no one has paid much attention to collecting the 

 smaller mammals of South Africa, and while birds and insects 

 have always been flowing in to the home museums, there 

 have only been received one or two chance specimens of 

 mammals. 



The result is that several of the animals described by the 

 old writers are very imperfectly known, and great confusion 

 is caused by the want of fresh specimens, most of the original 

 types having been stuffed, the skulls spoiled, and the fur 

 faded. 



Thanks to Mr. ffolliott Darling and Mr. F. C. Selous we 

 know something of the fauna of Rhodesia (see P. Z. S. 1896, 

 pp. 798-808, for description of the rodents sent home by 

 these two collectors), but there is still much to be learned ; 

 and now I have pleasure in bringing forward fresh evidence 

 of an awakening within the older settled districts to the 

 realization of the wants of the home workers. 



Ann. tfc Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol. ii. 1 



