belonging to the Genus Crocidura. 145 



poensis group. Underparts considerably lighter, almost 

 white (" pale neutral grey "). Backs of hands and feet 

 dirty white. Tail shorter and more finely haired, drab- 

 brown above, whitish below ; bristle-hairs greyish white, 

 very numerous, and conspicuous. 



Skull rather smaller and narrower, with flatter and 

 smaller brain-case. Teeth very similar, excepting the last 

 upper molar, which is markedly smaller. 



Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh) : — 



Head and body 80 mm.; tail 49 ; hind foot 14 ; ear 9. 



Skull (occipital region broken) : basal length 20'7 ; 

 greatest breadth 9*9 ; least interorbital breadth 4*1 ; length 

 of palate 10'2 ; postpalatal length 10*4; greatest maxillary 

 breadth 7 4 ; median depth of brain-case 5*1 ; length of 

 upper tooth-row 10'6. 



Hab. Kabwir, Bauchi Province, Northern Nigeria. Alti- 

 tude 2500 feet. 



Type. Adult female. B.M. no. 14. 11.8.2. Original 

 number 68. Collected on August 27th, 1914, by Dr. J. C. 

 Fox and presented by him to the British Museum. 



The smaller size, paler colour, flatter skull, and smaller 

 last upper molar separate this form from the other North 

 Nigerian species, /o.m. 



(63) Crocidura erica, sp. n. 



Allied to arethusa, but distinguished by its greyer colour, 

 longer, less hairy tail, and flatter skull. 



Colour above pale dove-grey faintly washed with brownish 

 cinnamon, the general eft'ect " hair-brown " finely speckled 

 with pale " mummy-brown," greyer and paler than in 

 arethusa ; flanks somewhat greyer, the brownish tint 

 gradually merging with the dull grey of the underparts ; 

 belly duller and greyer than in the Kabwir species, more as 

 in foxi (near slate-grey washed wath " mouse-grey ^^). Backs 

 of hands and feet dirty white. Tail long, very finely haired, 

 drab-brown above, dirty white below ; bristle-hairs few in 

 number, short and greyish white in colour, confined to basal 

 half of tail. 



Skull smaller than in soricoides and much flatter, about 

 equal to that of arethusa, but with flatter brain-case. Teeth 

 fairly heavy, upper unicuspids large, the second not smaller 

 than the third. Last upper molar as small and narrow as in 

 arethusa. 



Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh) : — 



Head and body 96 mm. ; tail 54 ; hind foot 15 ; ear 8. 



Skull of type and topotype ( ? ) : condylo-incisive length 



