482 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE MAMMALS [DeC. 4, 



Supraorbital edges of skull finely ridged, the ridges prolonged 

 backwards to the outer corners of the interparietal. Outer plate of 

 anterior zygoma-root well developed, projecting forwards. Palatine 

 foramina long, rather longer than the molar series, ending behind 

 just on a level with the front of m.' Bullfe low and small, 

 comparatively rough and opaque. 



Teeth as usual ; molars rather broad and rounded. 



Dimensions : — 



Heel to front Last 

 Head and Tail. Hind foot. Ear. Forearm of last foot-pad, 

 body. and hand, foot-pad. length. 



cj 188 134 35-.T 15-.5 47 19-0 6 



2 {type) 168 118 33-5 15 43 17-5 .5 



Of this species, in addition to the pair brought by Mr. Woodford 

 from Guadalcanar, there is a skin in the Museum from Kabahadai, 

 Nevv Britain, collected by the Rev. G. Brown, and agreeing with 

 Mr. "Woodford's specimens in every respect. 



Mus prceior has a strong superficial resemblance to M. terrce 

 regime, Alst.', from which, however, it may be readily distinguished 

 by its shorter ears, shorter and darker-coloured feet, much shorter 

 and wholly black tail, and, especially, by its possession of two pairs 

 of pectoral mammae instead of only one. 



MARSUPIALIA. 



22. PhALANGER ORIENTALIS BREVICEPS, Thos. 



Phalanger orieiztalis hreviceps, Thos. Cat. Mars. B. M. p. 204 

 (1888). 



ti, b. Skins, Aola. c. In spirit, Rubiana, New Georgia. 



As I have elsewhere (/. c.) pointed out, the Solomon Island 

 Cuscus proves, in common with the Duke of York form, to be refer- 

 able to a distinct subspecies of the ordinary Papuan Grey Cuscus, 

 distinguishable by its smaller size, and, especially, by its much 

 smaller last premolar (p.'). Of the three specimens obtained, two 

 {b and c) belong to a much darker-coloured race, believed by Mr. 

 Woodford to be a distinct species, but they appear to me to be quite 

 inseparable from the greyer form. 



Concerning this animal, Mr. Woodford writes to me as follows : — 

 " At Alu, Shortland Island, only the grey variety is found, and the 

 same at Fauro, but the natives told me of a dark-coloured Cuscus 

 being found on Bougainville. I first met with the dark variety at 

 Rubiana, where one specimen was brought off to the ship with some 

 others of the grey variety. I again met with it in Guadalcanar 

 during one of my expeditions up the Kobua River, where we caught 

 one, which the natives ate. They assured me it was not uucom- 

 mon at Aola, and by offering a good price 1 secured five alive, 

 and three of the grey variety, all of which I took away with me to 

 bring to Sydney, and if possible, home. I never met with anything 



' P. Z. S. 1879, p. 646 { = Acantliomys leuc&pus. Gray, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 598). 



