800 MB. W. B. DE WINTON ON SOMH nODBNT3 [Nov. 17, 



Size much less than M. mtmnus. Colour above uniform grey, 

 the only marking being a black patch commencing among the 

 whiskers and extending to the eye, and continuing on to the eye- 

 brows ; the eyelids are black ; the upper lips and cheeks white, 

 this colour reaching to immediately beneath the eyes and ears ; all 

 the underparts are white ; the under-fur above and below dark 

 slate-colour ; the hands and feet very small and slender, of not so 

 pure a white as the belly ; ears rather large, naked ; tail sub- 

 cylindrical, bicoloured, grey drab above and dirty white beneath, 

 the hairs short near the base, very gradually lengthening till at 

 the extremity they are 13 mm. in length ; the light hairs of the 

 underside exceed those of the upperside in length and so form 

 a pale margin. 



The much larger ears and less bushy tail distinguish this species 

 at a glance from M. smithi, Thos., besides the black marks on the 

 cheeks and the greyer colour. As the tips of the hairs in this 

 species are pale and colourless, and only the upper part of the 

 tail shows any drab, it must be quite distinct from E. kelleni, 

 ■E-euvens, as also for the same reason from E. parvus, True, with 

 (the addition that the under-fur of the cheeks and throat is dark 

 slate-colour and not white. The ears are certainly not small for 

 a Dormouse and there is no hair on them which is perceptible to 

 the naked eye, so there is no colour on the borders which both 

 these species are described as having. I may say that the 

 measurement of the ear is taken from the notch, as in all specimens 

 in this collection. 



Mr. Darling writes : — " I have been telling them (the natives) 

 to get me some more dormice, but they say all those animals are 

 gone away : I know they are scarce, but I may be able to get 

 some. One hut I had on a bushy hill, a little chap used to live 

 inside, and come down quite close and watch me reading as I lay 

 in bed at night ; if they eat insects ho may possibly have come to 

 catch them at the candle, but I never saw him do so." 



2. Gebbilltjs afbe, Gray. 



Eight specimens of both sexes and of various ages taken at 

 . Mazoe, Mashunaland, between the months of April and September, 

 1895. 



" Fairly common. Native name ' Bendy.' " — J. ff. D. 



Collector's measurements talten in the flesh, adult S : — Head 

 and body 155 mm. ; tail 166 ; hind foot 32 ; ear 20. 



This is a nice series, showing the various forms of colour from 

 grey to foxy red. The bright colour on the cheeks and along the 

 whole length of the body immediately above the white of the 

 underparts makes its appearance at a very early age, but may 

 not reach the dorsal region till long after the animal is full-grown 

 and the teeth worn so as to show the complete pattern of the 

 enamel of the first molars, and the animal has reared young ones ; 

 thus it seems probable that many never assume the i"ed colouring 

 at all, as tliere are specimens almost black on the back with well- 



