/>(//.< and Rodents from Amprica. 547 



the ])roniaxillary j)rocesse3 beliiiul. Iiiterorbltal region 

 broad, abiiost parallel-sided, the ridges strong, but becoming 

 almost obsolete as they pass the fronto-j)arietal suture, then 

 thickening again as they ])ass along the parietals. Inter- 

 j)arit'tal large. Anterior palatine t'uramina of abjut the usual 

 length, but, owing to the great size of the molars, their 

 hinder end is only just in tVont of the level of in} Incisors 

 broad and strong. Molars excessively large and heavy, more 

 so than in any other sjjecies. 



Dimensions of the type (an adult male, measured in flesh 

 by collector) : — 



Head and body 205 millim. ; tail 238; hind foot* 54; 

 car 23. 



►Skull: greatest length 47-5, basilar length 38-5; greatest 

 breadth 2G ; nasals IS'oxG; interorbital breadth 9 ; inter- 

 parietal 5'5x 11"8; palate length from henselion 22'2 ; 

 diastema 12*.3 ; palatine foramina S'2x3-4r; length of upper 

 molar series 8" 7. 



Hah. Ibarra, N. Ecuador, alt. 2225 metres. Coll. W. F. II. 

 Rosenberg, 19th May, 1897. 



This fine species may be readily distinguished from all 

 others by its broad heavy skull, large molars, and sombre 

 coloration. 



Nectomys russulus, sp. n. 



Size considerably smaller than in the known species of 

 Nectomys^ the general appearance being more that of a large 

 clumsily-built Oryzomys. Fur straight, thick, and glossy; 

 hairs of back about 13 or 14 millim. in length, the undcrfur 

 less woolly and less markedly different from the longer fur 

 than in the other species. General colour dark russet-brown, 

 very uniform in tone, without special markings anywhere, the 

 light-coloured rings of the hairs dark fulvous. On the sides, 

 as usual, the fulvous becomes rather clearer and the general 

 tone lighter. Belly not sharply defined, little paler than the 

 sides, its hairs slaty basally, dull buffy or clay-colour ter- 

 minally. Ears rather small, thinly haired, practically naked. 

 Upper surface of hands and feet brownish. Tail long, ex- 

 cessively finely scaled, very thinly clothed, dull brownish 

 above and below. 



Skull heavily built, very like that of an ordinary Nectomys 

 in miniature. Nasals evenly narrowing backwards, not con- 

 tracted at their centres. Interorbital region broad and flat, 

 its edges very strongly ridged, the ridges well developed 



* Attention may be again drawn to the fact that all hind-foot measure- 

 ments taken by myself or by British collectors are without the claws, as 

 opposed to the American method of including them. 



