Mammals from South A/n'<a. 403 



Thomas and Wroughton (P. Z. S. lUOS, p. 545), in sppa- 

 laling Mas micrudun Poters frotn Mns concha A. Sinitli, 

 exprt'S.s a . doubt whether their Zuluhiiid form, originally 

 named Mas concha zuluensi'n, can be retained as a .sub-species 

 distitu't trom Mas micrudon. 



While the torui from Natal and Zululand and the p] isterri 

 and North-eastern Transvaal undoid>tedly belongs to the 

 long-tailed microdon group rather than to the short-tailed 

 concha group, it is, I think, separable from Mas uiicrndon on 

 account of its darker and more slaty colour. 



l*eters's ti<j;ure of Mus tnicvodon (Roiso Mossamb,, Sirigeth. 

 Tuf. xxxvi. Hg. 1) depicts an almost fawn-coloured mouse, and 

 the series collected i)y Mr. Grant at Tette, the type-locality, 

 agree in colour with this figure. On the other hand, the 

 southern form, while very variable, is generally a dark grey 

 rat. I theretore retain the name Mas microdon, zuluensls for 

 this form. 



1 am not convinced that my series from Tzaneen may not 

 contain a second and larger species of multimammate rat ; 

 but this is such a bewildering group that its ramifications 

 and variations will only be thoroughly understood wh-m a 

 series of breeding experiments, accompanied by observations 

 on colour-changes due to season and age, can be carried out 

 at one of the South-African museums or zoological gardens. 



The multimammate rats in South Africa approach more 

 nearly in their habits to the imported ^[u3 decumamis, Mus 

 y-attwi, and Mus viuscu/us than any other native species. 



They are tound everywhere. They are equally at home 

 on the veld and kopjes, in the bush and scrub, or living a 

 semi-afjuatic lite on the banks of streams and vleis. Tliey 

 are the first rats to invade houses, and on the veld and in the 

 smaller dorps, before the arrival of Mus rattus and Mus decu~ 

 niatuis, they are the common house-rats. Owing to the 

 number of young [iroduced at a birth, they quickly became a 

 pest in houses. 



They are unable, however, to compete with tiie imported 

 forms, and iiave consequently disappeared in the larger 

 towns, where the latter have become established. 



Unlike most of the South-African species of J/xs-, which 

 are gentle and docile in captivity, and can often from the first 

 be bandit li with impunity, thiss|)ecies is fierce and aggressive, 

 biting viciou.xly when handled, and attacking and killing the 

 other species [Arvicanlhis, Mus 7iamaquensis,6ic.) which may 

 be put in the sanie cage. 



