314 On a new Ileliopliobius. 



XXXVI. — .4 new Heliopliobius/rom North-eastern 

 Rhodesia. By Oldfield Thomas. 



(Published by periuissiou of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



A RE-EXAMINATION of the mole-i'ats obtained in the 

 Loaiigwa Valley and Angoni-laiid by Mr. S. A. Neave, 

 and rt^ferred to Heliophobius argenteo-cinereus by Mr. 

 Wrongiiton, convinces me that the species should be dis- 

 tinguished from the Nyasa form. It may be called 



Heliophobius angonicus, sp. n. 



C )lour and lengtli of fur about as in the Nyasa species. 

 A small white frontal spot present in two specimens out of 

 four. 



Skull distinguished from that of argenteo-cinereus by its 

 much greater frontal breadth, and the greater development 

 of the postorbital processes, the orbital concavity in front 

 of them being consequently much more mai'ked. Upper 

 profile about as in argenteo-cinereus, though the occipital 

 plane is more slanted forwards ; a distinct vertical ridge 

 developed in the middle line in all three adult specimens — 

 not present in any of our considei'able series of the allied 

 species. Structure of posterior palate as in argenteo- 

 cinereus, not as in spalax. 



Dimensions of the type : — 



Head and body 154 mm. ; tail 16 ; hind foot 30. 



Skull : condylo-basal length 40"5 ; condyles to tip of 

 incisors 442 ; zygomatic breadth 32 ; nasals, length 13, 

 breadth anteriorly 3"3, at posterior third 5'2 ; iuterorbital 

 breadth 9"4 ; tip to tip of postorbital processes 12*4 ; inter- 

 temporal breadth 9'4 ; least breadth above meatus 18 ; 

 mastoid breadth 21'3; palatilar length 23; upper tooth- 

 series ^alveoli) 8'2. 



Hab. East Loang'.va Valley and Angoni-land. Type from 

 the Bua River, Central Angoni-land. Alt. 3500 ft. Other , 

 specimens from Petauke 2400 ft., the Mkala Country 2600 ft. 

 {Neuve), and West Nvasa at 12° S., £4° E. [Lloyd). 



Type. Adult male.* B.M. no. 10.9.21.10. Original 

 number 211. Collected 31 May, 1910, by S. A. Xeave. 

 Presented by the Entomological Research Committee. 



