the Genus Tiittra. 47.') 



literature |)ro\ idcd a very limited iiunil)(!r of spceitie iianies ; 

 and I was tlius teini)ted to uiidiTtake a more eareful and 

 detailed study of tlie genus. 



The general plan of coloration in the genus proved to be 

 monotonously uniform so far as the body was concerned. 

 The general features are, on the upperside, a ground-colour 

 ranging from a buffy grey to bri^iht lawn (the Inisal halves of 

 the hairs invariably dark slate-colour), more or less mottled 

 or grizzled with black (due to the dorsal hairs being tipped 

 to a greater or less extent, numerically and quantitatively, 

 with black) ; the underside and the hands and feet are 

 white (the hairs being white to their bases). In the tail, 

 however, I was able to find characters of coloration and 

 proportion which have served me in making a first classifica- 

 tion into groups. These groups, on the whole, can be 

 allotted satisfactorily to definite geographical areas, thus : — 



A. Tail dark above, pale below Africa. 



</. Tail unlufted or only sli^'-luly tufted. 



«'. Tail untultod, appreciiibly longer than head and body. 



South of the Zambesi. 

 b\ Tail untufted, about equal in length to head and body. 



Between Zambesi and Equator, 

 c'. Tail slightly tufted, appreciably longer than head 



and body North of Equator (except Nile Valley). 



h. Tail tufted Nile Valley. 



B. Tail dark above and below, with pale bands along the 



sides ; tufted Asia. 



Note. — I have used the word "tufted" for want of a better, but it 

 does not connote a "tassel,"' as in Jaculus for instance, but only that 

 (a) the hairs of the terminal part of the tail are markedly lengthened, 

 and (6) whatever the colour-plan of the rest of the tail, this terminal 

 portion is completely black or dark brown. 



Unfortunately c' in the above key is unsatisfactory. Tn 

 the more northern forms the short dark tip of very slightly 

 lengthened hairs is quite recognizable, but in forms such as 

 /ffw//;/ from Nigeria and 7«ow6fl.sve the "slight tuft" is by 

 no means strikingly apparent. In drawing up the detailed 

 keys, therefore, having failed to find any other distinguishing 

 character which would be satisfactory, 1 have l)een ol)liged 

 to fall back entirely upon geographical distribution, and to 

 arrange my key to the species as follows: — 



Section I. — Africa South of the Zambesi. 



A. Tail much (.J) longer than head and body. 



(rmvolo.si, Ziduliuid.) (1) liuddi, sp. n. 



B. Tiiil less markedly longer than head and 



body. 

 n. Size larger ; head and body loO mm. or 

 more. 



