524 MR. o. THOMAS ON THE [May 3, 



markedly different from that of Mus proper ; and until recently 

 Nesolda has been looked upon as a full genus ; but Dr. Anderson, in 

 the paper referred to above, states that he considers it to be only a 

 subgenus of Mus, an opinion in which for the present I am disposed 

 to concur. Dr. Anderson's paper contains a full and careful account 

 of the group ; but as he had not the advantage of examining Hodgson's 

 and Gray's types, some of the synonyms were incorrectly placed, the 

 natural result of such descriptions as had been given of these Rats. 



I have been compelled to reduce the number of species somewhat, 

 Dr. Anderson having allowed seven Indian species, while I consider 

 that there are only four, with two subspecies or varieties. The 

 reasons in each case will be given below. 



The known range of the subgenus is, east and west, from Palestine 

 to Formosa, the British Museum possessing specimens from both 

 these localities, and, north and south, from Kashghar to Ceylon. The 

 Palestine Nesokia, which was collected by Canon Tristram, appears 

 to represent a new species ; but, without seeing more specimens, I do 

 not care to describe it as such. 



The following sjmopsis, based on Dr. Anderson's " Sections," will 

 show some of the chief distinguishing characters of the Indian 

 species : — 



I. Anterior palatine foramina mucli shorter than 



the upper molar series; mammaj 8 M. (iV.) hardwickei, p. 524. 



II. Anterior jjalatine foramina as long as or 



longer than the molar series; mammaj 14-18 M. (N.) hengalensis, p. 526. 



III. Palatine foramina as in II., thovigli rather 

 more open behind. Mammas 12. 



a. Nasals broad, size very large M. {N.) handicota,'p.h29). 



b. Nasals narrow, size smaller M.{N.)nemorivagus,'p.b2^. 



1. Mus (NeSOKIa) HARDWICKIT. 



a. Var. hardwickei. 



Arvicola indica, Gray & Hardw. 111. Ind. Zool. i. pi. xi. (1832) 

 (nee 31us indicus, Bechst.) . 



* ' Mus hardwickei, Gray, Charlesw. Mag. N. H. i. p. 585 (1837). 



Nesokia hardwickei. Gray, Ann. &. Mag. N. H. x. p. 265 (1S42). 



*1N. griffithii, Ilorsf. Cat. Mamm. Mus. E.I. C. p. 145(1851). 



Spalacomys indica, Peters, Abhandl. Akad. Berl. 1860, p. 143, 

 Taf. ii. f. 1 (skull) (1860). 



M. (N.) hardwickei, Anders. J. A. S. B. xlvii. p. 221 (1878). 



Hab. From Sind and the Punjaub eastwards to the North-west 

 Provinces. 



b. Var. huttoni. 



*Mus huttoni, Blyth, J. A. S, B. xv. p. 139 (1846). 

 Nesokia huttoni, Blanf Zool. Pers. p. 59, pi. vi. fig. 1 (1876). 

 M. (N.) huttoni, Anders, t. c. p. 223 (1878). 

 Hab. Persia, Afghanistan, and the more elevated parts of Sind. 

 Specific characters Fur variable in quality. Length from six to 



^ The asterisks prefixed to the names in the synonymy throughout, desig- 

 nate those species of which the types are in the British Museum. 



