Rodents from Angola. 323 



Georyclius Mechowi, Peters. 



Georychus Mi'c/towi, Peters, Jorn. Sci. Lisb. 1890, p. 271. 



One female, Galanp^a. 



It is much to be regretted that the skull of this fine speci- 

 men is badly broken, as it is the largest (reonjchus skull yet 

 received in the British Museum, exceeding that of the one 

 figured by Prof. Bocage. 



Georychus Bocageij sp. n. 



Colour pale grey-drab, almost silver-grey ; a deep purple 

 stain at the corners of the mouth (no doubt due to the nature 

 of its food). Head very large, measuring about one third of 

 the total length. No white oceij)ital spot (?). 



Type S (aged) in al., B.M. no. 97. 8. 6. '12. 



Hanha, Angola. 



Head and body 150 millim. ; tail 15 ; hind foot 25. 



Skull : greatest length 39 millim. ; greatest breadth 30 ; 

 temporal constriction 9 ; brain-case 15*5 ; nasals 15 x 3'5 ; 

 basal length 35 ; henselion to back of palate 23 ; diastema 

 13*2 ; molar series 6 ; outside "i^ 7. Mandible, greatest 

 length of bone 30*5, height at coronoid 17. 



The skull is broader and stronger than that of G. hotten- 

 tottus, but the zygomata are not bowed out in the anterior 

 portion so much as in that species or G. damarensis, but, like 

 the latter, the inner face of the arch is turned upwards. The 

 infraorbital foramina are long and narrow, broadest in the 

 lower portion, the outer wall thin or moderate. Intermax- 

 illary processes extending on the forehead rather beyond the 

 nasals, the latter narrowing posteriorly and ending in a point 

 in the middle line. The tooth-row appears to be somewhat 

 shorter than in G. hottentottus ; the palate ends posteriorly in 

 a projecting point in the middle line. 



1 name this species in honour of the distinguished natu- 

 ralist who has done so much in advancing our knowledge of 

 the fauna of Angola. There are in the present collection ten 

 specimens from various localities. 



In working out the Angolan Georyclii I fully appreciate 

 the difficulties mentioned by Prof. Bocage (Jorn. Sci. Lisb. 

 1890, 2 ser. iv. p. 269), and have come to very much the same 

 conclusions. Without definitely separating the forms, that 

 from Hanha is described as a new species, a fully adult speci- 

 men being taken as the type. When more complete series are 

 obtained the various forms may be found to be separable into 

 local subspecies ; but as fully adult specimens are still 

 wanting from several of the localities, I do not see my way 

 at present to divide them. 



