268 Mr. O. Thomas on Two neio Rodents. 



interorbital breadth 3*8 ; breadth of brain-case 12 ; height of 

 anteorbital foramen 2"2 ; palate, length 9*5; diastema 5" 1; 

 length of upper molar series 3"1. 



ffab. Nassa, Speke Gulf, S. Victoria Nyanza. Coll. F. C. 

 Smith, Esq. 



Tills beautiful little dormouse differs from M. mun'nus, 

 M. microtis, and M. Kelleni by its much paler colour, smaller 

 ears, and bj the entire absence of black orbital rings, while 

 from M. crassicaudatus it is distinguished by its longer tail 

 and more rounded skull. From all of them it is also distin- 

 guished by its much shorter muzzle and proportionally broader 

 nasals. It is unfortunate that the skinning of the tail has so 

 distorted it that one cannot say whether in form it most 

 resembles that of M. crassicaudatus or M. murinus ; but I 

 trust that spirit-specimens may soon be obtained to enable 

 this and other points to be cleared up. 



On the whole I suspect that M. Smithii will prove to be 

 most nearly allied to the Angolan 31. Kelleni described in 

 Dr. Reuvens's admirable monograph of the group ; but 

 without seeing a specimen of that form it is difficult to appre- 

 ciate the exact relationship of the two to one another. 



Lepics victorice, sp. n. 



Size and general proportions, length of ears, feet, and tall 

 as in L. capensis. 



Colour of back intermediate in tone between the fulvous 

 suffused L. cajjensis and the pallid hares characteristic of the 

 more desert regions of North Africa. The longer hairs ringed 

 with black and pale cream-colour, not fulvous. Sides of 

 muzzle, patches in front of and behind eyes, and chin white. 

 Forehead grizzled black and cream-colour, a frontal wliite 

 spot present. Ears with the anterior halves of their backs 

 smoky grey, their extreme apical margins black, their ante- 

 rior edges cream-coloured and their posterior white. Back of 

 neck pale rufous. Underfur of back pale smoky grey basally, 

 black terminally. On the sides of the body the grey of the 

 back passes gradually into the pure white of the belly without 

 any rufous line marking the transition. The outer sides of 

 the forearms, the back of the hands, and an indistinct line 

 passing down the front of the hind limb from the hips on to 

 the feet pale fulvous, very different from the deep rufous of 

 these parts in L. cajjensis. Tail long, deep black along the 

 top, pure white on the sides, below, and at the tip. 



Dimensions of the type (skin) : — 



Head and body 460 millim. ; tail 73 ; hind foot without 

 claws 102 ; ear 105, from notch 87. 



