446 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



presence was discovered, so that it is probably local or uncommon 

 here. It is another example of the arid-country Abyssinian and 

 Somaliland types whose range extends southward to the Guaso Nyiro 

 region. 



Of Heterocephalus glaber specimens are recorded from Shoa, south- 

 ern Abyssinia, the type locality (Riippell); Gerlogobie, Ogardain, 

 in Somaliland (Thomas); the Errer (or Harar) region, of Italian 

 Somaliland and from Milmil (Rhoads). 



In its rounded zygomata and low coronoid process, this species 

 differs from H. glaber and resembles H. dunni and Fornaria phillipsi t 

 but from both these last it is at once distinguished by its larger molari- 

 form teeth, its size and proportions. Intergradation with H. glaber 

 may be expected when specimens are obtained from intermediate 

 localities. 



Taterillus melanops, sp. nov. 



Type. — Skin and skull, M. C. Z., 8132, male, from the arid plains 

 by the Meru River, a branch of the northern Guaso Nyiro, British 

 East Africa, collected 11 August, 1909, by Glover M. Allen. 



General Characters. — A medium sized species, probably related to 

 T. osgoodi of the coastal lowlands (type from Voi), but paler above, 

 and with the black facial marking restricted to a narrow ring about 

 the eye and an elongate spot behind it, and below the ear. 



Description. — Dorsal area, including a narrow line from the muzzle, 

 between the eyes, the entire crown, nape, and back, ochraceous buff 

 darkened by the uniform admixture of fine black tips to the hairs; 

 the color is slightly warmer on the rump where the pale terminal ring 

 of the hairs becomes nearly ochraceous. Sides of the muzzle, including 

 a narrow stripe up over each eye, sides of neck and body, and the 

 thighs, nearly clear ochraceous buff with a few scattering hairs en- 

 tirely black. The hairs of the dorsal area have long slaty bases with 

 short terminal ochraceous buff rings, while those of the flanks are 

 slightly paler with much longer (4 mm.) ochraceous buff tips which 

 fade basally to whitish. On the sides of the muzzle, however, and 

 along the lateral border of the body, the bases of the buff hairs are 

 wholly pure white. A whitish spot is present above the eye, extend- 

 ing to the base of the ear, and another at the posterior base of the ear. 

 A narrow black ring surrounds the eye and is continued posteriorly 

 as an elongate black patch below the ear. Hands and feet white 

 above, with a line of buffy on metacarpals and metatarsals. Ears 



