2 Mr. W. E. cle Winton on 



The British Museum has lately received valuable additions 

 to the collections of small mammals from the south of Cape 

 Colony through the exertions of Dr. Schonland, Curator of 

 the Grahamstown Museum, and presented by that institution, 

 and from IMr. A. Stenning, Curator of the Fish Hatchery, 

 King William's Town ; from the Transvaal through Mr. H. P. 

 Thomasset and Dr. Percy Rendall, who have taken much 

 trouble in obtaining specimens ; from the neighbourhood of 

 Kimberley by the "help of Mr. A. Wolf Curry 5 and from 

 Namaqualand by Dr. R. Broom. Thanks are due to these 

 gentlemen, who, while busily engaged in their professions, have 

 devoted time and money to the furtherance of science ; and 

 I think it only requires to be known how behindhand our 

 knowledge of the mammalian fauna of Soutii Africa is, to 

 induce others to assist in collecting and taking notes on the 

 habits of the small mammals of the country. I would impress 

 on those who wish to help, that no animal is too common, for 

 so little is known as to the distribution of any of the species, 

 and almost nothing of their habits. Specimens are therefore 

 required of all species occurring in different districts. 



Instructions for collecting and small requisites for proper 

 preservation may be obtained by communicating with the 

 writer at the British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell 

 Eoad, London, S.W. 



With the assistance of the collections above mentioned 

 some light has been thrown on one or two doubtful points as 

 to the validity of several species of rodents, and it is hoped 

 before long to clear up further questions in regard to other 

 orders of the Mammalia. 



Geaphiurus, F. Cuv. 



(Mamm. pi. ccliv., 1829.) 



Both Mr. Oldfield Thomas and myself, following the course 

 taken by other writers when describing closely allied forms, 

 have referred specimens of the smaller dormice of Africa to 

 the genus Eliornys. On looking more closely into the 

 matter, it has been found that all the members of the family 

 Myoxidse found within the Ethiopian Region belong to the 

 genus Graphiurus and that Eliomys is confined to the Palaj- 

 arctic Region. Besides the outward form there are many 

 cranial characters which distinguish these two genera ; perhaps 

 the most obvious is the difference in the shape o£ the infra- 

 orbital foramina. 



