Mr, M. Burr — Notes on the Forficularia. 249 



Tlie following is a key to the known species of the mesa- 

 melas group. I exclude iJuUidus, Heuglin, and mystica'is, 

 Heuglin, from Somaliland, ab)ut which information is not 

 available, even as to whether they should be classed with 

 D. mesomehis or D. melanotis. 



A. Size rather larger, hind foot = 21-22 mm.; 



ear larger, = 15 mm. Dorsal stripe very 



strongly marked. (British East Africa.) . . D. insifjnis, Thos. 



B. Size smaller, hind foot 18-20 mm. 



a. Ear larger, 15 mm. ; tail longer, 100-105 



mm. (Cape to Natal.) -D. mesoinelas, Brants. 



b. Ear smaller, 12 mm. ; tail shorter, 85-90 



mm. (N. Nyasa.) D. nyikcp, sp. n, 



Tatera smithi, sp. n. 



A Tatera closely resembling' T. liodon in proportions a'ld 

 colouring, but differing in its long posterior palatal fora nina 

 and extraordinarily broad brain-case. 



Dimensions of the type : — 



He?d and body 155 mm.; tail 145; hind foDt 34'5; 

 ear 20. 



Skull : greatest length 42 (c.) ; basilar length 34-5 ; 

 interorbital breadth 7*4; brain-case breadth 18'6 ; anterior 

 palatal foramina 8'2 ; posterior palatal foramina 3"6; dia- 

 stema 12 ; upper molar series Q'ii. 



Bah. Mubende, Unyoro. 



Type. Old female. B.M. no. 7. 10. 1. 14. Original 

 number 34. Collected and ])resented to the National Collec- 

 tion by Air. L. M. fSeth-Smith, 23rd March, 1908. Two 

 specimens. 



T. smithi, while closely resembling in general facies 

 T. liodon from Lake Mweru, has the long posterior palatal 

 foramina so characteristic of the northern forms from Egypt 

 and Somali. 



XXJX.— Notes on the Forficularia. — XV. The Esphal- 

 nieninffi. By MALCOLM BciiR, B.A., F.E.S., F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., &c. 



In 1901 Verhoeff (SB. Ges. naturf. Fr. no. 1, p. 7) formed 

 the family Gonolabidce, the essential character being the form 

 of the prosternum, which is strongly narrowed posteriorly. 



