934 me. oldfield thomas on mammals [dec. 14, 



28. Geaphixjeus mueinus, F. Cuv. 



a, h. 2 S . Njika Plateau, 6000-7000 ft., June and July 1896. 



On distributional grounds these sperimens should represent 

 Noack's Eliomys microtis \ \\hose description applies better to them, 

 so far as colour is concerned, than to the pigmy Dormice of the 

 group to which tlie next species belongs. The nasals of £". microtis 

 are. however, rather shorr for the murinus group, if the measure- 

 ments published by Eeuveus ^ are to be depended upon. 



29. Graphitjecs johkstoni, sp. n. 



a. 2 . Zomba, Mar. 12, 1897. Type (No. 97. 10. 1. 86). 



Size very small, as in G. parvus, nanus, and smithii. Fur rather 

 short and close. General colour greyish buff, the hairs slaty grey 

 with short buff-coloured tips. Under surface greyish white, the 

 tips of the hairs being dull whitish ; but this colour is not snowy 

 white, as in the allied species, nor does it extend so high up on 

 the sides of the neck and body. Eyes surrounded by a brownish 

 riflg, not strongly defined, and not continued on towards the ears. 

 Ears short, practically naked. Hands and feet dull white above, 

 the proximal part of the metatarsals slightly brownish. Tail broad, 

 apparently much as in G. smithii, much broader than in G. nanus, 

 the longest hairs about 15 or 16 mm. in length ; pale brown above 

 and below, a few of the proximal hairs only tipped with Mhite. 



Skull small and delicate ; nasals extending backwards to the 

 level of the premaxillary processes ; brain-case less broad than in 

 the allied species. 



Molars rather large for the size of the animal, much larger than 

 in G. nanus. Incisors unusually narrow, not flattened or grooved 

 in front. 



Dimensions of the type, an adult female, in skin : — 



Head and body 81 mm. ; tail, without hairs (c.) 58, with hairs 74 ; 

 hind foot (moistened) 16. 



Skull : tip of nasals to front of interparietal 21-6 ; greatest 

 breadth (c.) 12-5 ; nasals 8*5 x 2-7 ; interorbital breadth 4 ; ante- 

 orbital foramen, heiglit 2-4; distance between outer corners of the 

 two foramina 7'1 ; palate, length from henseliou 8 ; diastema 5-1 ; 

 palatal foramina 2*6 x 1*7 ; length of upper molar series 3-5. 



This pretty little Dormouse is clearly most closely allied to 

 G. nanus and G. smithii, but, among other characters, it may be 

 distinguished from both by its shorter fur, less snowy belly, and 

 larger molars and narrower incisors. 



Erom G. microtis, Noack, said to be synonymous with 

 G. murinus, G. johnstoni differs by having no darker mark 

 connecting the eye and ear, nor any lighter mark behind the latter, 

 and there are several discrepancies in the detailed measurements 

 of the skull. G. microtis came from Maruiigu, where the fauna 

 seems to be very like that of the Nyika Plateau, and equally 

 unlike that of Southern Nyasaland. 



1 Zool. Jahrb. ii. p. 248 (1887). ' Myoxidse, p. 43 (1890). 



