1905. | MAMMALS OF CHINA. 393 
The common Norway Rat occurs not infrequently in China, 
as shown by several examples in the British Museum. Apart 
from the skull-characters, which are quite distinctive, it may be 
recognised from griseipectus, which it resembles most closely 
externally, by its larger size (hind foot 36 mm.) and stouter tail. 
Mus numitiatus (A. M.-E.). 
Mus humiliatus A. M.-E., Ann. Sci. Nat. vii. p. 375 (1867); 
id, Rech. Mamm. p. 137, pl. 41. fig. 1 (1874); Rhoads, Proc. Acad. 
Nat. Sci. Philad. 1898, p. 121; Thos. P. Z. 8. 1898, p. 772. 
Another member of the Mus rattus group but smaller. General 
colour above yellowish-brown. Fur slate at its base, but yellowish 
brown (cinnamon, Ridgw.) for the greater part of its length, 
becoming paler on the flanks ; intermixed with the fur are a few 
long soft black hairs, but they are so scattered as to have but little 
effect on the general colour. The hands and feet are white, and 
the under parts uniform grey. The tail is short, tapering, and 
bicoloured, well clothed with short hairs that are brown on the 
upper and white on the lower surface. The ears small and 
rounded and covered with fine hairs. 
The skull differs from that of IZ. griseipectus in being broader 
and shorter. ‘The supraorbital ridges are not so well marked and 
do not run back so far, disappearing about halfway across the 
parietals. 
Dimensions (taken in flesh: Nankin *), Head and body 
145 mm.; tail 115; hind foot 30; ear 16:5. 
Skull (of co-type). Greatest length 35mm.; basilar length 29; 
palatilar length 17; diastema 7; length of incisive foramina 
6; length of nasals 12; zygomatic breadth 18; interorbital 
breadth 6 ; breadth of brain-case 15; length of molar series 7. 
Habitat. Pekin and neighbourhood (type); Nankin and W. 
Fokien. 
The chief distinctive feature of this Rat is its light colour, caused 
by the almost entire absence of the longer black hairs found in so 
many species, and besides this its smaller size and short tail form 
a combination of characters enabling it to be easily recognised. It 
is apparently a scarce animal, as only one specimen has reached the 
British Museum during the last 23 years, and it is entirely absent 
from the collections of Messrs. Styan, Rickett, and La Touche. 
Mr. Howell has, however, just sent over a small collection, which 
contains a mature female, from the city of Nankin, this specimen 
agreeing closely in all respects with the type. 
A specimen received originally from the Paris Museum as 
belonging to this species, and collected by Pére David in W. Fokien, 
is undoubtedly Mus novegicus, and it was this example that led 
Mr. Thomas to suggest J/us humiliatus as the possible wild stock 
of Mus norvegicus. 
* The skull-measurements of this specimen practically coincide with those of the 
co-type. 
21* 
