MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 405 



were circular in design covering a space in diameter from 4 to 5 yards, 

 the runs are in much the same plane as a rule about 12 or 18 inches below 

 the surface, many terminating in store chambers but containing very little 

 <vrain now. Mr. Simcox informs me that during the last famine the Bhils 

 made a practice of opening up these store chambers for the sake of the 

 grain stowed away. — 0. A. C] 



Epimys e,ufescens. Gray. 

 The Common Indian Rat. 

 1837. Mus vufescens, Gray. Charl. Mag. N. H, I., p. 585. 

 1891. yius rattus, Blanford. Mammalia No. 272 (part). 

 5 19. Parola, E, Khandesh. 



S 25, 27 (imm.) 5 26. Bhadgaum, E. Khandesh. 

 J 150 ; $ 106. Ghodasgaum, E. Khandesh. 

 Without protracted study of material, which at present is not available, 

 it is impossible to sort out the synonymy given by Blanford under '•' Mus 

 rattuv." The earliest available name for Indian rattus however is rufescens. 

 Gray, in his description, records that the tail is shorter than the head and 

 body, a statement which was based on a stuffed specimen in the Indian 

 House Museum ; this type specimen is now in the National Collection and 

 has been unstuffed and the tail is certainly not shorter than the head 

 and body. There are specimens in the British Museum from the United 

 Provinces, and I have taken others at Dharwar which agree quite fairly 

 with the present series. The most convenient course, therefore, is to accept, 

 ritfescenit provisionally as the name of the Indian form of rattus. 



Mus MuscuLus, L. 



The Common House Mouse. 

 1766. Mus musculus. L. Syst. Nat. XII, p. 83. 

 1891. Mus Musciihis, Blanford. Mammalia No. 282 (part). 



5 7. Parola, E. Khandesh. 

 The present specimen is a rather young individual and comes undoubt- 

 edly of imported stock. 



I have not gone into the synonymy given by Blanford which is extremely 

 complicated ; it will be time enough when we have some series of Indian 

 forms to deal with. 



Leggada platythrix, Benn. 



The Dekhan Spiny Mouse. 

 1832. Mus platythrix, Bennett. P. Z. S., p. 121. 

 1839. Mus saxicola, Elliot. Madr. Journ. L. & S, X., p. 215, 

 1854.. Mus spinulosus, Blyth. J. A. S. B. XXIII., p. 734. 

 1891. Mus platythrir, Blanford. Mammalia No. 289. 



J (imm.) 97 ; $ (no skull) 96. Edalabad, E. Khandesh. 



