On Three new African Mice. 241 
XXVI.—Three new African Mice of the Genus Dendromus. 
By OLpFIeLD ‘THOMAS. 
(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 
Dendromus nyase, sp. n. 
Near D. mesomelas, but tail shorter. 
General characters, including the presence of a claw on the 
fifth hind toe, as in D. mesomelas. Colour above about as in 
that species, though rather darker, this difference being more 
marked on the flanks, which are less fulvous and more tawny. 
Under surface more heavily mixed with slaty, the white ends 
to the hairs shorter, and only those on the chin white to the 
roots, A well-marked black dorsal stripe present. Tail 
decidedly shorter than in mesomelas, dark brown above, a 
little lighter below. 
Skull about as in mesomelas. 
~Dimensions of the type (taken on skin) :— 
Head and body 80 mm.; tail (vertebrae im stu) 85; hind 
foot (wet) 20:5. 
Skull: greatest length 22°5 ; condylo-incisive length 20:2 ; 
zygomatic breadth 11:6; nasals 8:3; breadth of brain- 
ease 10; palatilar length 9°3 ; palatal foramina 4°9 ; upper 
molar series 3°5; length of m 2°1. 
Hab. Nyika Plateau, N. Nyasa. Alt. 6500’. 
Type. Adult female. B.M. no. 97.10.1.121. Original 
number 119. Collected June 1896 by Mr. A. Whyte, and 
presented by Sir H. H. Johnston. 
This species is based on the two specimens of true Den- 
dromys with greyish bellies which, as indicated in a previous 
paper, were mixed up in Mr. Wroughton’s account of his 
D. nyike. 'Vhat species, as identified by the type skin, is a 
Poemys, with anail on the hind toe, although, misled by these 
specimens, Mr. Wroughton stated that it had a claw. 
D. nyase differs from its nearest ally, 7. mesomelas, by its 
markedly shorter tail and darker-coloured flanks and under 
surface. ‘There does not seem to be any sufficient reason for 
distinguishing D. ayresi, Roberts, from D. mesomelas, any 
more than the same author’s D. longicaudatus from D. me- 
lanotis, but neither reasons for distinction nor general 
characters are, in any of this author’s descriptions, suffi- 
ciently clearly stated to make certainty possible. Topo- 
typical specimens give, therefore, the only means of elucidating 
his names, and in the present instance the Museum contains 
examples supporting the identifications I now make. 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. &. Vol. xviii. 16 
