XII. ON TWO LITTLE-KNOWN RATS FROM 

 WESTERN JAVA. 



By H. C. Robinson, C.M.Z.S. 



Owing to the fact that the work of Mr. Shortridge, the 

 only modern collector of mammals in Java (vide P.Z.S. 1909 

 U 1 . PP- 37 1 ' et se( F>) xvas mainly confined to the lowlands and 

 to cultivated districts, but little trapping having apparently 

 been carried out in heavy jungle our know ledge of the murine 

 fauna of Java, with the exception of the forms parasitic on 

 man is almost entirely derived from scattered notices by 

 Dr. Jentink in the " Notes of the Leyden Museum," while his 

 descriptions being generally founded on ancient and imperfect 

 specimens and not conforming to modern standards, render it 

 somewhat difficult to identify the species intended by him. 



During a recent visit to Java I succeeded in the course of 

 a month's stay on the Gedeh Volcano in the l'reanger Regen- 

 ; a height of from 4,500 to 8,000 feet, in trapping several 

 hundred rats, belonging to seven species, all of which, with the 

 exception of a series of A', concolor obtained in the immediate 

 vicinity of native houses were secured in primaeval jungle. 



Four of these species will be described in the forth- 

 coming paper on the Mammals of our Korinchi Expedition, 

 being closely allied to new forms from Sumatra. 



The remaining two species have already been described 

 bv Jentink but I think it well to redescribe them here in view 

 of the paucity and age of his material. 



Rattus lepturus (Jent.). 



Mm lepturus, Jentink, Notes Leyden Mus. ii. p. 17 (1879). 

 (" Java " ex Temminck M.SS. | 



Form slender, tail very much longer than head and body. 

 Pelage very long, soft and woolly, entirely devoid of spines. 

 Ear very large, rounded. Skull with small but globose bullae. 

 Tooth row exceptionally long, the teeth large. 



Fur composed of two elements only, viz.. long and very 

 fine piles most abundant on the rump, extending almost to 

 the nape but practically absent on the sides and the ordinary 

 underfur, which is very long and soft, sooty grey at the base 

 and fulvescent buff at the tip, the flanks, and sides of the neck 

 brighter, cinnamomeous buff. Top of the head and perioculai 

 line speckle of wood-brown, buff and bla< k with grey 

 bases, hands and feet greyish white with brown median 

 streak: vibrissa- black, n few white at the base. Underparts 

 pure creamy white to the base of the fur. No buff g< 

 median stripe on the belly. Tail very finely ringed, slighth 

 Sept., 1917. 



