458 MR. W. L. DISTANT ON RHYNCHOTA [June 17, 



a rich bright chestnut-colour. Belly hairs slate-coloured, with pure 

 white tips. Feet pure white. Tail thickly haired, though not 

 pencilled, sharply bicolor, dark brown above, and pure white on the 

 sides and below. Ears thickly covered with shining yellowish grev 

 hairs. An iuconspicuous white spot both above and below the base 

 of each ear. 



Ears large and rounded ; laid forward they just cover the eyes ; 

 no projection on the anterior margin. Feet slender ; the fourth 

 toe the longest, fifth barely reaching to the end of the first phalanx 

 of the fourth ; soles naked ; foot-pads smaller and more prominent 

 than in R. chinchiltoides. Mammae 8 — two pectoral and two inguinal 

 pairs. Interdental palate-ridges 5 ; smooth posterior palate com- 

 mencing between the second and third molars. 



Skull (Plate XLIV. figs. 20 & 21) with the essential characters of 

 that of R. chinchiltoides, but the frontal outline less arched, the 

 nasals shorter and narrower, and the interparietal narrower from 

 before backwards. Upper edge of orbit not beaded. Anterior pala- 

 tine foramen reaching to opposite the second projection of m 1 . 



The nearest ally of this species is of course R. chinchiltoides, 

 Waterh., from which it may be distinguished by its larger ears, 

 slenderer feet, and wholly different coloration, while of the true 

 Hesperomyes, H. xanthopygus, Waterh., agrees most nearly in colour 

 and proportions with it, but may be readily distinguished by its 

 plainer colour, narrow convex teeth, and much longer tail. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 

 Plate XLII. 



Fig. 1. Hesperomys laticeps, var. nitidus, p. 452. 

 2. H. bimaculatus, yar. lepidus, p. 454. 



Plate XLIII. 

 Fig. 1. H. scalops, p. 455. 



2. Rheitkrodon pictus, p. 457. 



Plate XLIV. 

 Fig. 1. Palate of Hesperomys scalops. 



2-5. Skull and hind-foot of H. cinereus. 



6. Palate of H. latimanus, p. 452. 

 7-9. Palate, skull, and hind foot of H. leucodactylus, p. 452. 

 10-13. Skull, hind foot, and ear of H. bimacidatus, yar. lepidus, p. 454. 



14. Ear of H. bimaculatus, typ. var., p. 454. 

 15-16. Skull of H. scalops, p. 455. 

 17-18. Skull of H, spinosus, p. 453. 

 19-21. Hind foot and skull of Eheithrodon pictus, p. 457. 



11. On the Rhynchota collected by the late Mr. W. A. 

 Forbes on the Lower Niger. By W. L. Distant. 



[Eeceived June 17, 1884.] 



The small Rhynchotal portion of the Entomological collection 

 made by the late Mr. W. A .Forbes on the Lower Niger having 

 been placed in my hands for identification, with a request that I 



