174 



northern portion of the Island; has been obtained at 

 Kentishbury, Deloraine, and Launceston. In half grown 

 specimens the under surface is sometimes quite white ; 

 supraorbital ridge extends to occipital crest ; coronoid 

 process thin, narrower, less curved, and more acuminate 

 than in Mus decumanus ; condyloid process longer, and thin ; 

 posterior angle rounded and broad ; descending ramus deeply 

 emarginated. 



Fig. 2. — Lower jaw of natural size. 

 2a. — Superior molars magnified. 



Mus LEUCOPTJS, $. 



Ears long and patulous, internally sparsely, and externally 

 thickly covered with short, dark, almost black hair ; whiskers 

 rather full, black and white hairs, 2 J inches in length ; nose 

 grey, extreme tip nearly white; fui' long, soft, dark-brown, 

 tipped with pale fulvous brown, slightly paler at the sides, 

 passing into dirty ashy-grey underneath ; tail long, upper 

 surface clothed with short dark hair, interspersed with paler 

 hair ; under surface covered with white hair, concealing the 

 scales ; fore and hind feet white. 



Length from tip of nose to root of tail 5f inches. 



„ of tail 3f „ 



„ from nose to ear 1^ „ 



5) » to eye | „ 



„ of ear f „ 



Width „ h „ 



Length of fore foot and claws ^ „ 



„ hind foot and claws 1^ „ 



„ of skull If „ 



Width , I „ 



Length of nasal bones ^ „ 



„ of lower jaw U „ 



Circumference of chest (Not given). 



Principally noticeable by the pure whiteness of entire under 

 surface of tail ; supraorbital ridge absent ; coronoid process 

 short and pointed ; condyloid process pointing backwards ; 

 posterior angle short, and slightly acuminate ; descending 

 ramus moderately emarginate. Obtained by Mr. E. Higgins, 

 of Kentishbury, near the Minnaw Eiver. 

 Fig. 4. — Lower jaw, natural size. 

 4a. — Superior molars magnified. 



Mus VARIABILIS, J. 



Ears rather large, broad, very rounded at the apices, 

 and almost naked ; whiskers dark-brown, almost black, with 

 intermingled white hairs 2 J inches long ; fur dark bluish- 

 grey on the back, gradually becoming paler towards the 

 under surface ; feet brownish ; tail thickly covered with 

 short, dark-brown hairs, through which the scales are visible. 



9. — Eur rather long and soft, on the back of a fawn 



