550 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE [May 3, 



After describing these differences, Mr. Blanford himself says: — 

 "It is, however, by no means improbable that M. erythronotus 

 (21. arianus) is merely a local race of M. sylvaticus ; and, with a 

 good series of specimens from various localities, the two might be 

 found to pass into each other," 



On the whole I think that M. arianus will be found to represent 

 a short-footed eastern variety of M. sylvaticus worthy of a varietal 

 name, but not distinct enough to merit specific separation. 



De Filippi's "Mus sylvaticus, L." is no doubt this short-footed 

 form, and not the true European M. sylvaticus. 



This species is really a Palasarctic and not an Oriental form. It 

 only just crosses the extreme northern limits of our region, the 

 only Indian locality for it being Gilgit, North Cashmere, where 

 Dr. Scully obtained several specimens. 



15. Mus NITIDULTJS. 



Mus nitidulus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxviii. p. 294 (1859). 



Hab. Schwe Gyen, Sitang K., Pegu {Berdmore); Darjiling {Blan- 

 ford); Sikhim, "mountains 4500 feet" {Argent). 



Fur long, sometimes spiny, dark slate-colour for nine tenths of 

 its length, then yellowish grey, with the extreme tips black. Tail 

 slightly longer than the head and body, brown above and white 

 below. Hind foot much longer than in M. iirbanus, exceeding the 

 distance between the muzzle and the ear, as in true M. sylvaticus, 

 L. (see p. 549). Skull with the front edge of the outer wall of the 

 infraorbital foramen strongly slanting' (Plate LI. fig. 8), all the 

 other Indian species, when adult, having this edge perpendicular, or 

 even curving beyond its base. Cfecum short, 0-52 inch in length. 



The following are the dimensions of our only spirit-specimen, an 

 adult female, in which, however, I cannot make out the number of 

 mamm£e : — Head and body 3'0, tail 3*58, hind foot '80, forearm 

 and hand '88, ear-conch length -50, nose to ear •//. 



This species, to which I refer two of our Indian Mice, was de- 

 scribed by Blyth from Pegu ; he did not mention the peculiarity of 

 the wall'of the infraorbital foramen; but the description of the 

 external characters agrees very closely. 



Our two specimens of this species present another examjjle of 

 the uselessness, as a specific character, of the presence or absence of 

 spines in the fur — one of them, the specimen measured, having its 

 fur rather soft, and almost entirely spineless, while the other has its 

 fur nearly wholly composed of spines, quite as much as in average 

 specimens of Legyada i^latythrix. 



16. Mus METTADA, Gr. 



*Golunda meltada, Gray, Charlesw. Mag. N. H. i. p. 586 (183/). 

 *J/w5 lanuginosus, Ell. Madr. Journ. Lit. Sci. x. p. 212 (1839). 



1 This same ]3eculiarity in JL hUiiifordi was found to be due to immaturity; 

 but in this species it appears to be an adult chai-aeter, as both of the above- 

 mentioned specimens are not only full-gi'own, but even aged, their teeth being 

 quite worn down. 



