JRjES UL TS Fit OM MAMMAL SURVEY. 47 



7. Mus Icandianus, Kelaart, J, A S. Ceyl., Vol. II, p. 



326, 1850. 



8. Mu& nemoralis, Blytli. 



9. Mus asiaticus, Gray. 



Mus rattus and Mus decumanus. Miller in his Catalogue 

 of the Mammals of W. Europe, says of these species "Originally 

 confined to the north temperate portions of the Old World ; now 

 essentially cosmopolitan through artificial dispersal." Kelaart 

 records both these rats from sea-ports only, no doubt imported 

 specimens. Major Mayor obtained no specimens. 



Mus nemoralis, Blyth. The two co-types are in the Indian 

 Museum, Calcutta, but the British Museum possesses a specimen, 

 presented by Kelaart, with identification on the label in Blyth's 

 handwriting, therefore a " metatj^pe." The species is no doubt the 

 Island representative of the Indian E. rufescens. E. nemoralis 

 would appear to be rather smaller than ncfescens, with a pro- 

 portionally longer tail ; the skull, so far as I can judge from the 

 fragments available, is longer and narrower. Kelaart records the 

 species from Colombo (type locality) and Trincomalee ; Major 

 Mayor took it also at Mannar and Kandy. It is probably generally 

 distributed throughout the Island, except at the highest eleva- 

 tions. 



Mus decumanoides , Hodgson. This is most probably the same 

 species as the last. The description is very meagre, but so far as it 

 goes it quite fairly fits nemoralis, Blyth. 



Mus flavescens, Elliot. As a name this is useless, being pre- 

 occupied for a murine from S. America. There is a specimen in 

 the National Collection labelled with this name in Kelaart's hand- 

 writing ; neither the skull nor the skin are separable from those of 

 the next. 



Mus handianus, Kelaart. There are three co-types thus labelled in 

 the National Collection. One from Newera Eliya exactly corres- 

 ponds with Kelaart's description, and this (B. M. No. 52, 5, 9, 26) 

 I propose to select as a " lectotype. " The other two are quite dis- 

 tinct, and will be referred to again later. This is undoubtedly the 

 Island representative of the animal which in all previous Reports 

 has been listed as " rufescens var.," i.e., the white bellied mainland 

 form of rufescens. Major Mayor obtained a very long series of this 

 animal numbering some 50 specimens, from a dozen different 

 localities. In size there is some variation, for a great deal of which 

 however age is no doubt responsible, but in colouring the series is 

 remarkably even. 



Mus tetragonurus, Kelaart. The type and only known specimen 

 is in the National Collection (presented and labelled by Kelaart), 

 so far as I can see, it differs in no way from handianus. It was no 

 doubt, when dealt with by Kelaart, a dried specimen with the 



