MAMMALS FROM WESTERN CHINA. 171 



Dimensions of tlie type : — 



Head and body 178 nun. ; tail 193 ; hind foot 30 ; enr 23. 



Skull : greatest length 39 ; basilar length 30"3 ; zygomatic 

 breadth 18; nasals 15-2 x 4"3 ; interorbital breadth 4-3 ; breadth of 

 brain-case 15*6; palatilar length 17; palatal foramina 7"5 ; upper 

 molar series 6'8. 



Ilah. of type. Ta-tsien-lu. 9000'. 



Type. Adult male, B.M. No. 1 1.2.1.131. Original number 2379. 

 Collected 30 June, 1910. 



The true Rats of the genus Epimys are, as usual, some of the 

 most difficult of the collection to make out satisfactorily, owing 

 to their variability in both colour and skull-charactei-s. But it 

 seems clear that this foi-ni from the high ground of Ta-tsien-lu 

 and the upper part of Omi-san is a distinct species from the 

 widely spread E. confacianus, differing by its greater size, longei- 

 skull, and, in fully adult specimens, its paler coloui- — at least, as 

 compared with the typical dark E. covfucianus of W. Sze-chwan. 

 It is, of course, a member of the saine group of the genus, ns is 

 also the next species, which is again a step larger in size than 

 E. excelsior. 



29. Epimys andersoni. 



Thos. Abstr. P. Z. S. 1911, p. 4 (Feb. 14). 



$.2478. Omi-san. 6000'. Collected 8 August, 1910. B.M. 

 No. 11.2.1.135. Type. 



Like E. confucianus and excelsior., but very much larger and 

 with longer tail. 



Size large, though not equaling the giant of this group, 

 E. edwardsi. Fur coarse, not spinous ; hairs of back about 10 mm. 

 in length. Greneral colour as in E. excelsior, a dull-lined clny- 

 colour, more bufty on the sides. Under surface pure sharply 

 defined white. Top of muzzle greyish ; sides dark brown, this 

 colour passing backwards and joining the dark eye-rings. Ears 

 of medium length, the proectote dull blackish. Hands white, the 

 dark of the forearms encroaching a little on the metacarpus. 

 Feet brown over the greater part of the metatai^sus ; toes and 

 hallucal border of metatarsus white. Tail very long, faii-ly well- 

 haired, not conspicuously tufted, brown for its proximal half 

 above, then changing gradually to white ; underside wholly white, 

 except just at the base. 



Skull in general structure like that of E. excelsior, but larger 

 throughout ; brain-case rather less convex above. 



Dimensions of the type (young ;idult) : — 



Head and body 164 mm. ; tai'f 248 ; hind foot 37 ; ear 26-r,. 



Skull : greatest length 43 ; basilar length 35; nasals 16'3 ; breadth 

 of brain-case 17-2 ; palatilar length 19-8; palatal foramina 8-5; 

 upper molar series 8 '2. 



The dimensions will at once separate from any of its allies this 

 fine long-tailed Rat, which I have much pleasure in dedicating to 

 its discoverer, Mr. Malcolm Anderson. 



