Larger Speciea o/Geomys. 271 



taken strictly from the bottom of the groove. Molar teeth 

 large. 



Dimensions of the type (an adult skin, B.M. G5.5. 18.65) : — 



Head and body 320 millim., tail 135, hind foot without 

 claws 50 *, length of longest fore claw 23. 



Skull (see table below). 



JIah. Duenas, Guatemala. Coll. O. Salvin, Esq. 



Of the four Duenas specimens of G. grandis two, collected 

 in 1865, are undated, but the other two are marked August 

 and December 1873, and these two show that the species 

 becomes much less thickly clothed in the summer, the August 

 specimen having its belly very nearly naked, with only a 

 sparse covering of hairs not hiding the skin. Tiie type is 

 intermediate in the amount of its covering between the two 

 dated specimens. 



In their tone of coloration all the specimens seen are precisely 

 alike. 



Besides the Duenas examples there is, as already noted, a 

 young specimen of G. grandis in the Museum from Coban, 

 and the Museum also contains another from Tehuantepec, 

 which, with some doubt, I refer provisionally to the same 

 species. 



Dr. Merriam's G.gymnurus'\ is perhaps allied to G. grandis^ 

 but the differences in the colour will readily distinguish the 

 two. 



Of the large soft-haired species of Geomys the Museum 

 possesses unfortunately but a very small series ; among 

 them, however, is one which differs from tiierest so n)uch both 

 in size and the characters of the incisors that, even apart from 

 cranial characteristics, it is difficult to understand how it 

 could have been referred to G. mexicaiius. I would propose 

 to call it 



Geomys Merriamij sp. n. 



Size large. Fur soft but short. Colour reddish fawn, 

 quite unlike the chestnut tone of G. mexicanus ; the hairs pale, 

 slate-coloured basally, then with a subtermiiial band of fawn, 

 their extreme tij)S brownish. A patch round and behind 

 each ear dark brown. Belly and feet similar to back, but 

 paler. Tail tliinly haired, neither so absolutely naked as in 

 G. hispidus and grandis nor so well clothed as in G. mexi- 

 canus ; the latter species is, however, very variable in this 

 respect. 



Skull stout and heavy, with the zygomata very widely 



* With daws 57. 



t Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. vii. p. ICG (18U-'). 



21* 



