418 MURIBiE. 



Dimensions. Head and body 2-9 inches, tail 2-65, ear 0-5, hind 

 foot 0-65 ; skull 0-8. 



Distribution. Nepal, Eastern Bengal, Assam, and the Khasi hills. 

 Specimens from the neighbourhood of Calcutta, originally described 

 as M. alhidiventris and subsequently referred to this species by 

 Blyth, are shown by Mr. W. Sclater to belong to M. hmlv<ja. It 

 is doubtful whether" M. buduga and M. ccrvicolor should be kept 

 distinct. 



289. Mus platythrix. The broken spiny Mouse. 



Mus platythrix, Bennett, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 121 ; miot, Mad. Jouvn. 



L. S. X, p. 215 ; Bbjth, Cat. p. 121. 

 Leggada platythrix, G'rr/?/, ChmieswortKsMay. N. H. \, p. 580 ; Blyth, 



J. A. S. B"^ xxxii, p. 3o0 ; Jerdon, Main. p. 207. 

 Mus spimilosus, Bli/t/i, J. A. S. B. xxiii, p. 734 (1854), xxix, p. Ill ; 



id. Cat. p. 121. 

 Leggada spimilosa, Bhjth, J. A. S. B. xxxii, p. 349 ; Jerdon, Mam. 



p. 208. 

 Mus (Leggada) platythrix, Thomas, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 553; W. 



Sclater, P. Z. S. 1890, p. 531. 

 Legydde, Legadyandu, or Eale-Jagaiiyandu, Wadari ; GijeU-gandu, Tel. 

 of Yaiiadis ; Kal iJei, Can. 



Fur aboye and below composed almost entirely of flattened 

 spines, those on the back stiif and coarser than those on the lower 

 parts. Tail shorter than the head and body, rather thick at the 

 base, clad with short hair, rather more thickly than in Mus 

 generally. Ears short, rounded. Mamma) 10 : 3 pairs pectoral, 2 

 inguinal. Hind foot small, all the G pads near together, the meta- 

 tarsal pair small, round, and distant from 

 the heel. Anterior palatine foramina 

 long, extending back to the middle of 

 the first molar ; anterior edge of maxillary 

 zygoma-root straight. First upper 

 molar normally very long, with an anterior 

 spur bearing a distinct cusp, but in some 

 skulls the spur is wanting and the cusp 

 rudimentary. Third upper molar about 

 Fig. 132.— (rt) Upper and Qj-^e third the size of the second. 



S^to?i/«4'*X5^"'''^ Colour above dark brown, occasionally 



■•^ • ' ' paler, below white, the separation of the 



two colours well defined. Basal half of dorsal fur grey, terminal 



half brown, a few longer black points being mixed on the rump. 



Tail-hairs dark above, white below. 



Dimensions. Head and body of an adult male (in spirit) 3-3 

 inches, tail 3, ear 0-4 (from orifice 0-5), hind foot 0-7. Skull 

 1 inch long. 



Distribution. The peninsula of India and Ceylon. This form 

 has been obtained in the Punjab, in Sind, and in Malabar, but not 

 in Bengal. 



Habits. According to Sir AV. Elliot, " the Leggyado lives entirely 

 in the red gravelly soil in a burrow of moderate depth, generally 



