68 Mr. O. Thomas on Two new 



Alacrosceiides fiiscipeSj sp. n. 



Most nearly allied to M. hrachyurusj Boc,*, with which it 

 agrees in size and proportions. General colour above deep 

 rufous chestnut, sides paler rufous ; under surface white, the 

 hairs slaty grey basally as usual. Eyes less completely sur- 

 rounded by white than usual, the white superciliary streak 

 being only represented by an isolated spot anteriorly, while 

 there is no white at all between the eye and ear, the fur here 

 being pale brown, a shade lighter than the general colour of 

 the head ; the white streak beneath the eye, however, runs 

 along the whole lower border of the orbit, ending below the 

 posterior canthus. Lips and chin white. Ears of medium 

 length, laid forwards in a spirit-specimen they just reach to 

 the anterior canthus of the eye : metatragus f of very peculiar 

 shape, being twisted backwards on itself almost as in the 

 Chiropterous genus Nycterisj its substance much thickened, 

 so that it is almost spherical ; anterior and outer margins 

 evenly rounded, posterior sharply and angularly concave ; its 

 rounded terminal part thinly clothed with jfine scattered hairs, 

 almost too small to be seen without a lens. 



Proximal portions of arms and legs coloured like the body ; 

 anterior surface of wrists and uppersides of hands and feet 

 soft brownish fawn. 



Tail short, thinly haired ; its hairs above brown, below 

 white. 



Dimensions of the type (a somewhat immature female in 

 spirit) : — 



Head and body 102 millim. ; tail 76 ; hind foot 27 ; ear 

 from notch 19. 



Skull : basal length 30, greatest breadth 17'3, intcrorbital 

 breadth 5*6. 



Jlah. N'doruma, Niam-Niam country (about 5° N. and 

 27° 30' E.). Coll. F. Bohndoi-fF. 



Type : B. M. no. 84. 5. 1. 6. 



Although the only specimen of this species is young, 

 having still its milk-dentition in place, its characters are so 

 well marked that I have little hesitation in describing it as 

 new. By its short feet and tail it is readily sejiarated from 



• J. Sci. Lisb. Lx. p. 27, 1882 ; (2) i. p. 24, 1889. 



t By this uame, as in the ' Catalopfue of Marsupials.' i dosij.nuuo the 

 small fleshy or nionibranous protuberanco placod Avithin the concavity of 

 the ear-conch. It is probably honioloirous to what is jreuorally called 

 the "tragus" in the L'hiroptera ; but a^s it certainly does uot correspond 

 in position with the iuinian tragus, I prefer now, as then, without pre- 

 judging the case of the bats, to use in other iustances a name which does 

 not suggest an incorrect homology. 



