1G00.] MAMMALS FROM S.W. AHABIA. 103 



and early morning, and are very playful. They would not look at 

 the traps, as I suppose the bait was not correct, and yet we tried 

 all sorts of bait we could get. Their holes are a home for many 

 lizards, including a monitor or ' Waral.' I saw one, but was not 

 able to get a shot, he went down the hole too quickly for me. It 

 appeared to be about 2 ft long." 



21. AbVICANTHIS VABIEGATTTS Licht. 



a-d. Lahej, 21st Aug. to loth September. 

 e (in ah). Lahej. 



22. Mus battus ALEXANDBrcnis Geoffr. 

 «, b. Lahej, 21st August. 



23. Mtrs (musculus-bactrianus group). 

 a, b. Lahej. August and September. 



c, d. Sheikh Othman. 26th & 27th September. 

 For want of material it is not at present possible to determine 

 satisfactorily the Mice of this difficult group. 



24. Acomys dimidiatus Eiipp. 



Many specimens. El Khaur, September and October, 1899. 



The variation in colour in this series is very considerable, some 

 being almost entirely sandy rufous, and others slaty with merely 

 a slight wash of 3andy on their flanks. 



" S_piny-back Mice. — These interesting little mice gave us a 

 lot of bother, for they appear to be a great dainty to the ants, 

 and the first six or more were all spoilt — ears and noses were 

 always eaten off. At Al Khaur in the Abyan Country we began 

 to get specimens, and by going round the traps with a light 

 late at night we got our specimens quite fresh. Any that were 

 in the traps in the morning were, as usual, eaten by ants. They 

 seem to like to be near water, for we caught nearly all close to 

 the stream or cuttings. 



" I am not at all sure about the food of these mice ; I don't 

 think they climb trees, as do most of the mice we caught. I shot 

 several mice and rats in the trees in the dusk, but the spiny- 

 backs seem to keep to the ground. Our traps were of awkward 

 sizes, the small traps were inclined to hit mice on the skull and 

 break it, while the big ones almost cut them in two. 



" The spiny-backs are the most tender-skinned mammal I have 

 met ; the skin is more like wet blotting-paper than anything else, 

 and the least thing damages them. They are early movers, in fact 

 are often out during the day. I was very anxious to get some 

 alive, but never was able to capture any." 



25. Hystbix leucuea Sykes. 



a. Sheikh Othman, 20 th September. 



This specimen confirms my previous reference of the Aden 

 Porcupine to H. leucura, the Indian species, and shows no approxi- 

 mation to the African forms. 



