1906.] MAMMALS FROM BECHUANALAND. 107 



Deelfontein in Central Cape Colony, and five rather dilapidated 

 skins from Otjimbinque in Damaraland. The South African 

 Museum possesses examples from Douglas in Griqualand West*. 

 This species does not occur in the neighbourhood of Cape Town. 



" This white-bellied mouse has a white spot behind each ear, 

 and lives in small burrows in open places among the bush. It is 

 not uncommon. After digging one out one day, I dug up many 

 other holes, but only found toads in them." — R. B. W. 



15. Otomts irroratus Brts. 



<S. W. 13, 16, 20, 46, 105; D. 6, 145. ?. W. 14, 106. 

 Kuruman. 



$ . W. 69. Setchowane. 



Lichtenstein mentions f that the specimen on which Brants 

 founded this species came from the east coast of South Africa. 

 The present series agrees very well with the British Museum 

 specimens from Natal and Pondoland, of which the former may be 

 considered the type locality. 



" I found none of these rats on the Molopo River, and I fancy 

 they are only to be found near permanent water." — R. B. W. 



16. Mus coucHA Smith. 



c?. W. 17, 21; D.19. 5 . W. 8,12 ; D. 13, 17, 20. Kuruman. 



These specimens may be taken as topotypes of Smith's Mus 

 coticha, described by him as coming from the country " between 

 the Orange River and the Tropic." The male specimen, no. 21, 

 exactly matches his type in the British Museum in colour and 

 general proportions. The Zululand form, which has been recently 

 described J, may be distinguished from the typical subspecies by 

 its more fulvous coloration, longer tail, and cream-coloured feet. 



" These mice were trapped in a fence along the river. I have 

 caught several of them, but the ants nearly always ate the ears off 

 before I arrived. They seem mostly to frequent the water's edge, 

 though they are to be found occasionally in the veldt." — R. B. W\, 



17. Mus AURicoMis de Wint. 



$ . W. 35, 36, 64, 67, 68. Kuruman. 



These specimens agree very closely with the series collected by 

 Mr. Darling at Mazoe in Mashonaland, the type locality of 

 de Winton's auricoinis. 



I take this opportunity of describing a local race of this species 

 collected by Mr, C. H. B. Grant at Deelfontein in Cape Colony, 

 It may be called 



Mtis auricomis centralis, subsp. n. 



Similar to the typical subspecies in general proportions and in 

 the colour of the upper surface, but with the belly buff instead of 



* Mamm. South Afr. 1902, vol. ii. p. 2-1. 



t Darst. Saug:. 1827, Taf. xxx. 



X Thos. & Schw. P. Z. S. 1905. vol. i. p. 268. 



