24:8 On neio Species of Dendromus and Tatera. 



The known members of this pumilio group may be arranged 

 in a key as follows : — 



A. A well-marked dorsal stripe. (Transvaal.),, jatnesoni, 9\). n. 



B. Dorsal stripe absent or obsolescent. 



a. Dorsal stripe obsolescent. Ear =11 mm. 



(Nyasa.) whytei, sp. u. 



b. Dorsal stripe absent. 



«'. Size smaller. Skull 18'5 mm. Ear= 



10 mm. (Anprola.) ansorr/ei, Thos. & Wr. 



J'. Size larger. Skull :^0-21 mm. 



d^. Ears large, 15 mm. Colour paler. 



(Cape Peninsula.) pumilio, Wagner. 



b^. Ears smaller, 12 mm. Colour darker. 



(Cameroons.) •. . . messorius, Thos. 



Dendromus ni/iJcfP, sp. n. 



A Dendromus of the D. mesomelas type, with a claw on 

 the fifth toe. Rather smaller than that species, with a pro- 

 ))ortionally much shorter tail and smaller ears. 



Size rather smaller than D. mesomelas. Fur rather short 

 (9-10 mm. on back). Colour near to " fawn colour " above, 

 pure white below ; dorsal stripe well-marked from the 

 shoulders backwards. Hands and feet white. Ears small ; 

 tail short as compared with Mesomelas. 



Dimensions : — 



Head and body (c.) 70 mm.; tail (c.) 85; hind foot 18; 

 ear 12. 



Skull : greatest length 23 ; basilar length 17 ; zygomatic 

 breadth 12; brain-case breadth 10*1; nasals length ^'ti ; 

 diastema 5'5 ; upper molar series SG. 



JIah. Nyika Plateau, British Central Africa. 



Type. Adult female. B.M. no. 97. 10. 1. 12,3. Original 

 number H. J. 7. Collected by Mr. A. Whyte in June 189(), 

 and presented, with four others besides spirit-specimens, to 

 the Natural History Museum by Sir H. H. Johnston. 



The short tail, small ears, and the bluish or drab tint in 

 its colouring suffice to distinguish this species easily from 

 D. mesomelas, and, a fortiori, from D. insiynis. 



It is curious that two of the series of five specimens taken 

 at the same time and place, and not otherwise differing in 

 any way, have the bases of the hairs of the belly of a dark 

 slate-colour, while in the type and the other two specimens 

 the corresponding hairs are white to their bases. 



Unfortunately no measurements were recorded by Mr. 

 Whyte, and I have been obliged to base those given above 

 on a spirit-specimen taken at the same time and place. 



