702 Mu. A. lov'eridge: notks on 



Avith fieas [XenopsijUa hrasiliensis and cheopsis), of which I cap- 

 tured twenty-lour. The former flea was taken on another 

 specimen at Kilosa, and A', cheopsis from a rat'.s ne.st in a pantry 

 at JS^airobi. Most of the twenty-four were about the rat's head 

 and fore parts, cp:iite half-a-dozen around its eyes — perhaps this 

 accounted for the strange way it ran into and along the wall 

 (Kilosa, 31.xii.21). 



Black Rats were found in the stomach of a Serval (F. c. hindei) 

 and of a Wild Cat [F. o. ur/a7idce), but their chief enemy at Kilosa 

 would appear to be the Barn-Owl, in whose nest many skulls were 

 found. Pufl- Adders also account for a few. 



IIatTUS (-t'ExJlOMYS) WALAMU.E PEUESTEIl TllOS. 



A single male from Kakindo on 15. i, 23. 



IIattus (^^iItixomys) chrysopiiilus siKGiD.E Kershaw. 

 The two types from G wao's, and one from Miljengo's, 



IIattus (Praomys) delectoruai Thos. 



A female from Bagilo, on 17.vi. 22, measured 100. 120. oO. 

 30 mm. 



IIattus (Mastomys) coucha microdot Peters. 



Mbuku in Kikami, JSTgobari in Kisagara, Mhanyalusangha in 

 Chigogo, Bebea in Kinyaturu, Lituri in Kinyamwezi, and Kurigu 

 in Kinyiramba. 



Eighty-five specimens from Bagilo ; "VYami, Mkindo, and Mkata 

 Eivers; iludewa, Ilonga, Ivimamba, Kilosa, Kipera, Rumrnli, 

 Mpanira, Ndogwe, Gwao's, Mbulu's, Pooma, Tabora, Izikisia, 

 Kanga, Sagayo, and Komu. 



It is a garden rat, particularly numerous in the cultivated plots 

 of the natives ; when food is scarce it takes to the grain stores iu 

 the roofs of the native huts where, owing to their niunbers, they 

 must do a great deal of damage. 



The hii-gost male of this line series mensiired 135.114.22. 

 19nnn., and female 130. 112. 22. 19 mm.; both from Ilonga. 

 Specimens from the thorn-bush steppe seem to average smaller 

 and are paler, but can be matched by individuals picked out from 

 the Kilosa District series. The grey pelage of the younger indi- 

 viduals tends to become a deep nut-brown as they grow older. 



Three females trapped at Kilosa on 25.i. 21 had 7, 8, and 11 

 embryos respectively. A female from Ilonga on 30. iii. 23 had 

 six l'(etuses. At Kin)amba on 7. iv. 23 a litter of nine were found 

 in a burrow with their mother. Of these nine, one had a Avhite 

 blaze on its forehead. 



A flea {Xenopsylla hrasiliensis), larva) of Caudylobia sp., and 

 nematode worms were taken from these rats. 



These Bodents form the staple diet of many wild creatures, 



