NO. 21 FIFTY-OXE NEW -MALAYAN MAMMALS — MILLER II 



ceous-buff dulled by the light-neutral-gray bases of the hairs, the con- 

 trast between belly and sides not conspicuous. Ears and feet sprinkled 

 with fine hairs of an indefinite brownish color. Tail uniform dark 

 brown, the minute blackish hairs not producing any effect of color. 



Skull and teeth. — The skull is larger than in Epimys neglect us, 

 closely agreeing with that of E. pannosus in size and general appear- 

 ance. It differs from that of the Butang form in more depressed 

 braincase, larger interparietal (area about equal to that of one pari- 

 etal instead of decidedly less than that of parietal), narrower inter- 

 orbital region, smaller auditory bullae, and in the spatulate form of 

 the nasals caused by the very abrupt narrowing at middle. 



Teeth as in Epimys pannosus but noticeably smaller, the transverse 

 diameter of m 1 about 1.8 mm. instead of 2.4 mm. 



Measurements. — Head and body, 208 (212) mm. f tail, 215 (228) ; 

 hind foot, 42 (42) ; hind foot without claws, 40.8 (40.5) ; condylo- 

 basal length of skull (teeth much worn), 46.1 (45.0) ; zygomatic 

 breadth, 23.0 (22.3) ; interorbital constriction, 7.1 (6.9) ; mastoid 

 breadth, 17.1 (16.9); depth of braincase, 11.0 (11.8); nasal, 17.5 

 (17.0); diastema, 13.7 (13.6); mandible, 27.1 (27.1); maxillary 

 toothrow (alveoli), 6.8 (6.8); mandibular toothrow (alveoli), 6.9 

 (6.4). _ 



Specimens examined. — Two, both from Maratua Island. 



Remarks. — The section of the Epimys rattus group containing this 

 species and the four just described is characterized by large size, 

 coarse fur, and heavy skull, features which cause its members to 

 have a superficial resemblance to the rats allied to Epimys validus and 

 E. Urmus. Two forms, E. bullatus (Lyon) from eastern Sumatra 

 and E. villosus (Kloss) 2 from Singapore, have in fact been described 

 as small members of the validus-firmus series, though in each instance 

 the main character by which the two groups are distinguished — the 

 large normal auditory bullae of the smaller animal as compared with 

 the much reduced bullae of the larger species — was made the principal 

 feature of the new race. In addition to the forms already mentioned, 

 the section contains E. tambelanicus of the Tambelan Islands, and 



1 Measurements in parenthesis are those of an adult male I No. 196754) of 

 same age as type. 



2 Mr. Kloss now considers the Singapore animal as identical with /:. 

 bullatus (Journ. Fed. Malay States Mus., vol. 4, p. 245i " )in - A '"I" 



in the U. S. National ,Museum (No. 105076, adult Female > differs Erora th< 

 adults of the Sumatran form in less yellowish underparts and in the shorter, 

 deeper rostrum. Until more material can be compared I prefer t<> regard the 

 two as distinct. 



