204 Dr. C. I. Forsyth Major on the 



XXVI. — Description of a netv Oecho from the Niger Delta. 

 Bj G. A. Boulenger/F.K.S. 



Hemidnctylus A nsorgii. 

 Head olongate, once anrl tliree fourths as long as broad, 

 not very distinct from neck ; snout obtusely pointed, longer 

 than the distance between the eye and the ear-opening; fore- 

 iiead slightly concave ; ear-opening vertically oval, more than 

 half the diameter of the eye. Body and limbs rather slender. 

 Digits moderately elongate, free, normally formed, the inner 

 well developed ; 5 lamellae under the poUex, 8 under the 

 fourth finger, G under the hallux, 11 under the fourth toe. 

 Head covered with very small granules, which are larger on 

 the snout ; rostral four-sided, twice as broad as deep, with 

 median cleft above ; nostril pierced between the rostral, the 

 first upper labial, and three nasals ; 11 upper and 12 lower 

 labials; syniphysial triangular, twice as long as the adjacent 

 labials; two pairs of chin-shields, the median pair forming a 

 suture behind the symphysial. Upper surface of body 

 covered with minute granules intermixed with small strongly 

 keeled tubercles, forming 8 irregular longitudinal series ; 

 ventral scales quite as large as the dorsal tubercles, imbri- 

 cate, smooth. No enlarged tubercles on the limbs. A short 

 angular series of 9 prseanal pores. Tail cylindrical, slender, 

 covered above with small granules and transverse series of 

 subconical tubercles, beneath with large, irregular, imbricate, 

 smooth scales. Dark brown above, with some lighter spots; 

 whitish beneath, finely speckled with brown. 



millim. 



Total length 115 



Head 16 



Width of head 9 



Body 39 



Fore limb 19 



Hind limb 25 



Tail 60 



A single specimen from Sapele Station, Niger Delta ; pre- 

 sented to the British Museum by Dr. W. J. Ansorge. 



XXVII. — The Musk-Rat of Santa Lucia (Antilles). 

 By C. I. Forsyth Major. 

 The obvious inference that the musk-rats of the Antilles 

 pertaiTi to the Hesperomyinae was first announced by the 

 Secretary of the Zoological Society of London when regis- 

 tering a specimen from Santa Lucia amongst the additions 



