1902.] MAMMALS FROM ABYSSINIA. 311 



14. Otomys degeni, sp. n. 



c5' (skin). Gombitchu, Shoa, 8000 feet. 16 April. Type. 

 2 $ (in spii'it). Moncorar, Mietcha, Godjam, 9000 feet. 



One deep and one shallow groove in each upper, and two deep 

 grooves in each lower incisor. Lamina formula of molars 733. 



Fur comparatively thin and poor, very different from the deep 

 rich fur of 0. jacksoni; shorter hairs of back about 13 mm. in 

 length. General colour strongly lined pale brown, between raw 

 umber and isabella of Ridgway, without marked metallic sheen. 

 Sides rather more buffy. Under surface but little lighter, the 

 hairs broadly slaty basally, dull buffy terminally. Head like 

 body, inconspicuous yellowish patches above and below eye and 

 round ear. Backs of ears brown, edges and inner surfaces 

 yellowish. Hands and feet dull greyish. Tail brown above, dull 

 greyish on sides and below. 



Skull large and heavily built, conspicuously stouter than in 

 0. jacksoni. Nasals very broad, as much expanded in front as in 

 0. ir7-07'att(,s. Posterior palate ending about level with the sixth 

 lamina of m^. 



Incisors very broad, the upper ones with one deep sharp groove 

 dividing off the outer third of the tooth, and the front of the 

 inner part faintly and indistinctly concave. On the extreme 

 inner angle of the tooth there is also a third minute shallow and 

 almost imperceptible groove. Lower incisors with two deep and 

 eqvial grooves, dividing each tooth into three equal portions. 

 Molars broad ; the posterior one above with eight laminte, the 

 anterior lower with four. 



Dimensions of a female specimen in spirit, not the type : — 



Head and body 161 mm. ; tail 90 ; hind foot (s. u.) 28*5 ; 

 ear 22x21. 



Skull of type— upper length from back of interparietal 36'2 ; 

 greatest breadth 19"7 ; nasals 16*5 x 7-5 ; interorbital breadth 4-4; 

 interparietal 4"7 x 9 ; diastema 9; palate length 17-8; palatal 

 foramina 7*3 ; length of upper molar series (crowns) 8* 2. 



This Otomys might have been supposed to be Heuglin's 

 " Oreoynys typios" ^ described from the mountains of Simien, but 

 that animal is distinctly said to have three sharp and deep grooves on 

 both the upper and lower incisors, so that 0. degeni, with two deep 

 ones below and one deep and two indistinct ones above, can hardly 

 be the same, whatever allowance for error ought to be made, 



0. jacksoni Thos., from Mt. Elgon, is otherwise the nearest 

 species, and that is smaller, with a more delicately bviilt skull, 

 with only 7 laminae in m^, and, though the number of the incisor 

 grooves is practically the same, their spacing is different. 

 Externally 0. jacksoni is a much darker-coloured and thicker- 

 furred animal. 



1 Reise N.O.-Afr. ii. p. 76 (1877). Since the above was written, Dr. K. Lampert 

 of Stuttgart has kindly sent me some further particulars about the typical skull of 

 0. typus, which conclusively prove that O. degeni is distinct from it. 



