referred to the Genus Meseinbiiomys. 373 



Teeth as in Mesemhriomys (see figure in original description 

 of Mus argurus *) . 



Species. Z. argurus with its subspecies Z. a. indutus, Thos. 



The delicate slender build of this animal and its low flat 

 skull will distinguish it from the large convex-skulled Mesem- 

 briomgs, to which, however, in the essential characters of 

 tooth-structure it undoubtedly bears a near affinity. 



III. Laomys. 



Genus novum. Type Laomys ivoodwardi, sp. n. 



Size medium. Form comparatively short. Fur crisp, 

 almost spinous. Feet short and broad. Tail short, thickened 

 basally, tapering, heavily haired tliroughout. 



Skull flattened above, its highest point above w^, its general 

 shape rather recalling that of LeporiUus. 



Teeth with the laminge very distinctly transverse and 

 separated, the inner cusp of each of the two first lamina of 

 m^ in line with the middle cusp, so that the transverse grooves 

 between the lamiuseare coniplete, straight^and uninterrupted. 

 The teeth therefore tend towards the distinctly htminate 

 structure found in Phloeuviys, Otumys, &c. Lower teeth also 

 sira])ly laminate, the larainge not or scarcely pinched in at 

 their middle point, and the posterior lamina of «?i and nicf 

 without any posterior concavity in which a supplementary 

 cusp might stand. 



Species. L, wocdwardij sp. n., and L. pedunculatus {Coni- 

 larus pedunculatus, Waite). The more extreme of the two is 

 selected as the type. 



The species of this genus are remarkable-looking animals, 

 quite unlike ordinary Muridee, and more suggesting members 

 of the South-American Octodontin£e. 



The following is the description of the new species : — 



Laomys woodwardi, sp. n. 



A greyish species, with a short, hairy, but untufted tail. 



Size larger than in L. pedunculatus. Fur peculiarly 

 coarse and crisp, almost spinous. General colour coarsely 

 lined pale greyish, rather paler than " drab-grey." Indi- 

 vidually the hairs are pale grey basally (grey no. 8), becoming 

 drab-grey terminally, about half of them with black tips. 

 Under surface white, the stiff bristly hairs white to their 

 bases ; line of demarcation on sides not sharply marked. 

 Ears large, broad, pale grey. Upper surface of hands and 



* Aim. & Mpg. Nat. Hist, (6) hi. p. 434 (1889). 



