MUS. 419 



on the side of a bank. When the animal is inside the entrance is 

 closed with small pebbles, a quantity of which are collected out- 

 side, by which its retreat may always be known. The burrow leads 

 to a chamber in which is collected a bed of small pebbles on which 

 it sits. Its food appears to be vegetable. In its habits it is 

 monogamous and nocturnal." 



The genus Leggada of Gray, classed apart from Mus by Jerdon 

 and some others, was founded on Mus buduga, but the present 

 species, which was included, is more characteristic. The only 

 important distinction is the form of the anterior upper molar, 

 and that is variable, there being, in Mus buduga, a complete pas- 

 sage to the ordinary murine form of the tooth. 



290. Mus mettada. The metad Rat, or soft-furred Field-Hat. 



Golunda meltada, Gray, CharlesivortV s Mag. N. H. i, p. 586 (1837) 

 Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxxii, p. 352 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 213. 



Mus mettade and M. lanuginosus, Elliot. Mad. Jour. L. S. x, 

 pp. 208, 212. 



Mus mettada, Blanford, J. A. S. B. xlvi, pt. 2, p. 290. pi. i ; Thomas. 

 P. Z. S. 1881, p. 550 ; W. Sclater, P. Z. S. 1890, p. 530. 



Mettdd, Mettangandu, Wadari. 



Fur dense, fine and soft, without spines. Tail about the same length 

 as the head and body or rather less, not pencilled. Ears rounded, 

 moderately large, very thinly clad with short hair. Planta with 4 

 or 5 pads only. Mammae 8 : 2 pairs pectoral, 2 inguinal. Skull 

 convex above, anterior palatine foramina long. 



Colour above dark greyish brown (earthy brown), paler on the 

 sides, and white below. Basal three fourths or more of the dorsal 

 fur leaden black ; tips light brown, mixed on the back with 

 numerous rather longer black terminations. Basal portion of fur 

 on lower parts very dark grey. Feet whitish. Hairs on tail 

 dark brown above, white below. 



Dimensions of a male in spirit : head and body 5 inches, tail 4'2, 

 ear from orifice O75, hind foot T05 ; extreme length of skull 1-38, 

 basal length 1*2, zygomatic breadth O63. 



Distribution. Found in several parts of the Peninsula of India 

 Etawah and Banda, Ahmeduagar, Dharwar, Cuddapah, Anaimalai 

 hills, and various other parts of the Madras Presidency. 

 Mr. Murray has obtained this species in Sind. The Ceylon 

 specimens mentioned by Blyth (J. A. S. B. xx, p. 167) were, 

 however, wrongly identified. 



Habits. These'have been described by Sir W. Elliot, who says : 

 " The Mettade Jives entirely in cultivated fields, in pairs or small 

 societies of five or six, making a very slight and rude hole in the 

 root of a bush, or merely harbouring among the heaps of stones 

 thrown together in fields, in the deserted burrow of the kok, or 

 contenting itself with the deep cracks and fissures formed in the 

 black soil during the hot months. Great numbers perish annually, 

 when these collapse and fill up at the commencement of the rains. 



