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



sandy brown, the basal halves of the hairs slate-colour. Below, the 

 hairs are pure white, sometimes quite to their roots ; sometimes the 

 basal halves are slate-colour ; and there is every stage between the 

 two. Tail generally nearly equal to the head and body, rarely just 

 exceeding them, covered with hairs which are much shorter than in 

 L. platythrix. Mammae 10, three pectoral and two inguinal pairs. 

 Hind foot-pads six, small, circular. Ears small, oval ; laid forward 

 they just reach to the eye. Csecum short and pouch-like. 



For measurements see Table, p. 556. 



In this species we find the link which, by way of Mus cervicolor, 

 bridges over the space between Leggada and Mus. L. platythrix is 

 strongly differentiated, and always shows clearly the extra cusp on 

 the upper molar ; but in many specimens of L. buduga this cusp is 

 not distinguishable, and these specimens are barely separable speci- 

 fically from Mus cervicolor. Almost the only character to distin- 

 guish them is the different length of the ear-conch, which varies 

 from 0"41 to 0-49 inch in M. cervicolor, and from 0'32 to 0'39 in 

 L. buduga. The colours and other proportions are very similar ; 

 and it seems very probable that we shall yet obtain intermediate 

 specimens from the region where the ranges of the two species 

 approximate — namely, in the valley of the Ganges, which seems at 

 present to be the dividing line between the two forms. 



With regard to the name which must stand for this species, it 

 unfortunately happens that Graiy's barbarous term " booduga " 

 antedates Elliot's name lepida by two years. We cannot ignore 

 the name booduga as barbarous without also doing the same in the 

 case of the Metad, which was called M. meltada by Gray and M. 

 lanuginosus by Elliot in the same papers in which this species re- 

 ceived its two names. I have therefore done what Mr. Blanford 

 did with regard to M. mettada ' — namely, correct Gray's erroneous 

 spelling of the native name, and then use it provisionally until some 

 final understanding is come to with regard to the use of barbarous 

 words as specific names. 



Mus beavani, Peters, of which the Museum possesses two immature 

 individuals of the typical series, is quite undistinguishable from this 

 species. Our specimens show distinctly the extra cusps on the upper 

 molars ; and the proportions are quite the same. The species was de- 

 scribed from specimens brought from Maunbhoom by Lieut. Beavan, 

 and would appear to be the true Mus terricolor, Ely th, which is said to 

 be " the most common field- and garden-mouse in Lower Bengal." 

 With regard to the specifia distinction of this last species, Blyth 

 says : — " This much resembles M. lepidus, Ell., in form and colour, 

 but the face is very much shorter, and the fur short, soft, and not 

 spinous in the least degree." 



We have seen, by many instances, how utterly valueless the cha- 

 racter of the presence or absence of spines is ; and in this species, 

 even when well developed, they are by no means stout or conspi- 

 cuous ; and, as far as regards the shortness of the face, I have been 

 quite unable to perceive any thing of the sort in any of our spineless 

 1 J. A. S. B. xlvi. p. 289 (1877). 



