On new Mdtnmah from South Africa. 



III. — On Three new Mao-nnals from South Africa. 

 By R. C. VViiOULiiiTOX. 



In a small collection of mammals recently presented to the 

 Natural History ^luseum by Mr. (J. W. Turner, of Good 

 Hope, near Aberfeldy, iu the north-east of the Orange River 

 Colony, there are three specimens of an Otomys which differs 

 from any form hitherto described. 



Otomys Turneri, sp. n. 



An Otomys of the general form of 0. Sloggetti, but sliglitly 

 larger and paler. 



Fur long and soft; 17-20 mm., against 10-12 mm. in 

 0. Sloggetti. 



General colour above between " raw umber " and tawny 

 olive ; the individual hairs " slate-grey," with a " clay- 

 coloured " tip (5 mm.), but a certain small proportion of 

 them, of greater length, with black tips (5-10 mm.). 



Under surface " pinkish buff" ; the hairs with slaty bases. 

 Hands and feet silvery white ; hairs on tail, like those on 

 back, markedly longer than in 0. Shggetti; in the latter the 

 hairs of its upper surface are coloured black, whereas in 

 0. Turneri all are dull white except a few on the median line, 

 above, towards the end. 



Skull and dentition in all essential characters the same as 

 in 0. Sloggetdj but upper molar row distinctly larger and 

 nasals more spatulate {6'5 mm. at broadest, instead of 5 mm. 

 in 0. Sloggetti). 



Dimensions of type specimen : — 



Head and body 134 mm. ; tail 49 j hind foot 24 ; ear 17. 



Skull: greatest length 35 ; basilar length 29; zygomatic 

 breadth 19 ; length of upper molar series 8*5; bulljc 7-5. 



Eah. Aberfeldy, N.E. Orange River Colony. Alt. 3500^ 



Type. Young male. B.M. no. 7. 5. 25. 5. Original 

 number 27. Collected on 9th July, 1906. 



Only one of the three specimens sent has a skull, and 

 unfortunately it is the youngest. Thougli young, however 

 the type is adult, and the skull-dimensions givonabove may 

 be accepted as practically normal for the species, but the 

 body-measurements are small. The largest of the three 

 specimens measured head and body 160 mm. and tail 59; 

 this was almost certainly a fully-grown animal. 



This new species is undoubtedly very close to 0. Sloggetti, 

 from which, however, it is separable externally by its longer 



