MAMMAL 8URVEY OF INDIA. 297 



(50) Epimys fulvescens, Gray. 



The Chestnut Rat. 



1846. Mus fulvescens, Gray, Cat. Mamm. Nep. p. 18. 

 1849. Mus caudatior, Hodgson, A. M. N. H. Ill, p. 203. 

 1891. Mus fulvescens, Blanford, Mammalia No. 275. 

 ^S 6, 7$ 9, Dhakuri, 9,000'. 



These specimens are undoubtedly Hodgson's caudatior, andJTequally 

 certainly, are th.e fulvescens of Gray. Hodgson does not seem to have 

 published any description, but in any case Gray's older name must stand. 

 This is a rather bright coloured, reddish rat, markedly smaller and 

 ghter than the common Indian Rat ; it is specially noticeable on account 

 of its very long tail which is as much as one-third longer than the head 

 and body. 



(51) Mus BOODXTGA, Gray. 



The Indian Field Mouse. 



(Synonymy in No. 1.) 



2 d cJ, 1 ?, Bageswar, 3,200'; 4 J cJ, 3 $ 9, in al. l,^Almora, 

 5,300'; 2 9$, Sitabani, 2,000'; 18 S 6,12 9 $ , in al. 1, 

 . Ramnagar, 1,100'; 1 d" , Ranibagh, 2,500'; 6 c? c? , 2 9 9, 

 Dela Ramnagar, 1,500'; 2 6 6, Jerna Ramnagar, 1,500'; 

 5 6 6, '2 $ $ , Lohaghat, 5,600'; 1 5 , Tanakpur, 7,000' ; 

 3 6 6/^9-2, Philibhit, Rohilkhand, 8,000'. 



(52) Mus HOMOUKUs, Hodgs. 



Hitnalayan Souse Mouse. 



1845. Mushomourus, Hodgson, A. M. N. H. XV, p. 268. 

 1891. Mus musculus, Blanford, Mammalia No. 282 [partim). 



^6 6, 3 5 $ , Khati, 7,000'; 26 6, 1 $ , Dhakuri, 9,000'; Z6 6, 



2 5 $ , Almora, 6,300'; 4 J c? , 1 ? , Ratighat ; 1 $ , Naini Tal, 



7,000'; 16, 2 2$, Bhowali, 7,000'; 1 $ , Ramnagar, 1,100'; 



9 J J , 7 $ $ , Lohaghat. 



This and the following represent two of the three well marked groups 



of house mice in India. The hair of the under parts in homourus is slate 



coloured with white tips, giving a general pale, blue-grey eft'ect; in 



this it most closely resembles the Mus musculus of Europe. In Afghanistan 



and the N. W. Frontier the house mouse is a white bellied one, best known 



under the name of bactrianus. The present is probably the "Himalayan" 



form. 



Hodgson originally published the name as 'homoourus'' but^^as he shortly 

 afterwards published it as above, I think we may strain a point and treat 

 the first spelling as a misprint. 



" A common mouse in the hills, it prefers the neighbourhood of villages 

 but is also found in hedgerows and in forest." — O.A.O. 



(53) Mus DUBius, Hodgs. 



The Nepal House Mouse. 



1845. Mus dubius, Hodgson, A. M. N. H. XV, p. 268, 



1845. Mus urbanus, Hodgson, 1. c, p. 269. 



1891. Mus musculus, Blanford, Mammalia No. 282 {partim). 



16, Ratighat ; 10 c? c? , 15 $$ , Ramnagar, 1,100'; 1$, Jerna, 

 Ramnagar, 1,500'; 9 J c? , 10 $ $ , Philibhit, Rohilkhand, 800'. 



There can, I think, be no doubt that this is the animal named dubius 

 and urbanus by Hodgson, the type of colouration is exactly as in M. manei, 



