106 MR. O. THOMAS ON RODENTS FROM PERU.  [Jan. 17, 
mys has been recorded’, notwithstanding the tropical climate of 
central and northern South America and the innumerable forms 
into which the Vesper-mice have been developed. 
Among the Old-World Muridze instances of the development of 
spines are extremely numerous, though their presence would seem 
often to be variable, the spines being apparently shed and renewed ac- 
cording to the season of year”. In the case of this Peruvian Vesper- 
mouse, however, it is scarcely likely that there could be any shedding 
of spines according to season, since at Huambo, only 6 degrees south 
of the equator, there can be but very little appreciable change of 
season at all. Moreover, as far as regards the distinctness of this 
species, there appears to be no Calomys as yet described with the 
colours and proportions of H. spinosus, even if we ignore the presence 
of the spines as a specific character. 
8. Hresprromys(RurIPIpoMYS) LEUCODACTYLUS, Tschudi, Fauna 
Peruana, p. 183, Taf. xiii. fig. 2 (1844). 
H. latimanus, Tomes, P.Z.S8. 1860, p. 213. 
a. Huambo, 3700’, April or May 1880. 
Head and Forearm Har-conch, Muzzle 
body. Tail. Hind foot. andhand. length. to ear. 
a. Q.. 4:85 65 Jet 1:4 3) 1:17 
The single specimen of this species is rather paler-coloured than 
Tschudi’s type, which I have examined in the Berlin Museum ; it is 
otherwise, however, quite identical, all the more important characters 
agreeing exactly. The following isa short description of Mons, 
Stolzmann’s specimen :— 
Fur soft and close. General color above pale brownish grey, 
below white. Dark colour of the back continued down to the meta- 
carpals and metatarsals; toes white. Ears without a projection on 
their anterior edge. ‘Tail quite unicolor, dark brown, with the hairs 
increasing in length to its tip, where they form a distinct pencil. 
Feet remarkably short and broad, sole-pads very large, round and 
smooth. Fifth hind toes reaching to the middle of the second pha- 
lanx of the fourth toes. Whiskers very numerous, black. Mammee 
six, one pectoral and two inguinal pairs. 
« Several individuals of this species were caught on the palmwood 
roof of the house in which I was living. They gnawed to pieces 
all leather articles, such as saddles and bridles, and used the frag- 
ments to build their nests with. One of these, made of paper torn 
from a book, was built in the folds of a mosquito-net.”’ 
1 Tund (Blik p, Bras. Dyrev. iii. p. 277, 1841) described a Mus setosus from 
Minas Geraes as having spines in the fur; but this is now generally admitted 
to have been founded on a specimen of Mus alexandrinus, Geoff., an introduced 
species which seems to be very common in Brazil, 
2 Of, P. ZS. 1881, p. 540, 
