new Mammals from Madagascar. 319 



maxillary and squamosal present, but no zygomatic arches. 

 No postorbital processes. Nasals not united. Tympanies 

 ring-shaped. Infraorbital foramen large, bounded above by 

 a very narrow, rod-like, bony arch. Frontals short and 

 narrow, parietals broad and elongated. A minute inter- 

 parietal. Foramen magnum very large. Clavicles present. 



Dental formula.— \. f, C. |, P. |, M. f X 2 = 40. 



Premolars and molars presenting the general type of the 

 Centetidse family, and more especially of its smaller members 

 with soft hairs. The inner pair of upper incisors caniniform 

 and of considerable size, larger than the upper canines, their 

 lower moieties divergent, so as to leave a triangular space 

 between them, into which fit the two lower inner incisors, 

 which are small and converging upwards towards each other. 

 The second pair of lower incisors are likewise caniniform and 

 larger than the canines. Second upper incisors almost of the 

 size of the upper canines. 



By the absence of zygomatic arches and postorbital pro- 

 cesses, the ring-shaped tympanies, and by the form of the 

 crowns of the molar teeth this new genus is shown to be a 

 member of the Centetidge ; but it is as strikingly modified for 

 aquatic life as Potamogale or Myogale. 



1. Limnogale mergulus^ sp. n. 



General coloration of upper parts brownish, consisting of a 

 mixture of fawn-coloured shorter hairs with less numerous 

 and longer black ones, the posterior back blacker than the 

 anterior. Upper surface of muzzle covered with short black- 

 brown hairs. Whiskers of moderate size, not exceeding 

 30 millim. in length, nearly all pure white. Ears short, 

 higher than broad ; inner and outer sides of conchee covered 

 with short, dark grey hairs. Behind the ears a small patch 

 of dark grey hairs. Lower parts of a light yellowish grey. 

 The toes, both in manus and pes, united by a blackish mem- 

 brane, wider in the pes and leaving the claws free. Outer 

 margin of fifth toe of pes and corresponding metatarsal fringed 

 with ciliate, thickly set, grey hairs ; the same on manus, but 

 longer and white-coloured. Likewise white, ciliate, but shorter 

 hairs on the inner margins of pollex and hallux and the first 

 metacarpal and metatarsal. Upper and lateral surface of 

 tail scaly, thinly haired, dark brown ; lower surface occupied 

 by longer, thickly set, yellowish-white hairs. 



Dimensions in the flesh of the Andraykiba specimen ( ^ ) : — 



Head and body 128 millim. ; tail 134; length of ear 9; 



fore foot (without claws) 16*5; hind foot (without claws) 30. 



