256 f>n Three new African Species 0/ Mus. 



number 4. Collected 15tli August, 1903, and presented by 

 Capt. H. G. Cock, R.A. 



Temminck's M. erythroleucus was based on a young 

 individual from Guinea. A similarly young specimen from 

 Ashantee in the Museum Collection agrees very well with a 

 series collected by Mr. Robin Kemp in S. Nigeria, and 1 

 have taken this series as adequately representing Temminck's 

 M. erythroleucus^ of whicli Gray's M.gamhianus is apparently 

 a synonym. The S. Nigerian series quite constantly shows a 

 marked shortness of tail, which thus distinguishes M. erythro- 

 leucus from the present species even without the richer darker 

 colour (near " mummy-brown ") of the former species. 



Mus cuninghamei, sp. n. 



A multlmammate mouse about the size of M. ugandce, with 

 a very short tail. 



Fur soft and rather long, 12 mm. long on the back. 



General colour above a brownish " sepia/' with a buffy 

 grizzling; below buffy white ; bright buffy on the flanks. 

 Individual hairs of upper surface pale slate basally, then pale 

 buff with black tips ; black tips entirely wanting on flanks 

 and belly. 



Dimensions : — 



Head and body 150 mm. ; tail 120 ; hind foot 27 ; ear 19. 



Skull: greatest length (circ.) 33 ; zygomatic breadth 17; 

 diastema 95 ; upper molar series 5. 



Hah. Islands of Victoria Nyanza (type from Chivi 

 Island). 



Type. Old male. B.M. no. 2. 7. 5. 11. Original num- 

 ber 4. Collected 27th December, 1901, and presented by 

 Mr. R. J. Cuninghame. 



Mr. de Winton described M. ugandce on a young animal 

 from Entebbe, but older specimens since received from the 

 same place establish the fact that in that species the head 

 and body and tail are of about equal lengtiis, as they are 

 also in M. hildehrandti, Peters. This character at once dis- 

 tinguishes the present species from both its neighbours. 

 M. kildehrandti further differs by its much smaller size and 

 M. ugandce by its different colouring (near " vandyke-brown " 

 in the adult). 



In working out the above my attention has been drawn to a 

 series of another Mus taken at Deelfontein which seems to me 



