1906.J MAMMALS Ol<' KN\aXA, CAPE COLONY. IG^ 



21. LsaaADA minutoides Smith. 

 5 . 1022. Knysna. 



" Apparently rare. Only one specimen was caught." — C<H. B. G. 



22. Bathyergus suillus Schreb, 



Mtos suillus Schreb. Saug. iv, p. 715, pi. 204 B (1782). 



Mus maritimus Gmeh, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 140 (1788). 



d". 1096, 1102, 1105. ?. 1070, 1103, 1106. Knysna. 



The researches of Mr. Sherborn * on the dates of Schreber's 

 ' Saugthiere * have shown that the part in which the " Sandmoll " is 

 described appealed in 1782, and therefore some years before the 

 publication of Gmelin's name. 



The reference by Gmelin to Schreber gives further evidence to 

 the same effect. 



" ' Zand mol ' of the Dutch. 



" Very common on the west bank of the Knysna River^ which 

 appears to be the eastern boundary of the species. 



" It is known locally as the ' Brenton ' Mole, Brenton being the 

 name of the farm on which it is most plentif uL" — C. H. B. G. 



23. Georychus capensis canescens, subsp. n. 



S. 1108. Knysna 30', 22 April, 1905. B.M. No. 5.8.10.14. 

 Type. 



A paler form of the common Blesmol, with a more strongly 

 contrasted black head. 



General colour of body decidedly greyer than in true capensis, 

 the tone nearly matching " smoke-grey " on the fore-back, darken- 

 ing to " drab-grey " on the hind-back ; in ccqjensis the back is a 

 uniform Isabella brown (" obsolete rufescens," Pallas). JSTose-patch, 

 eye-patch, and ear-patch each rather smallei- than in capensis, the 

 face between them nearly to the crown-patch really black, instead 

 of only slaty blackish ; crown-patch larger, very strongly con- 

 trasted. Area below ear-patch greyish white, continuous with 

 the greyish white of the sides, throat, and belly ; in capensis all 

 are more or less tinged with buffy (Pallas even in 1779 speaks of 

 the area parotica ferruginea). 



Other characters as in capensis. 



Dimensions of the type, an old male, with the last tooth worn : — 



Head and body 156 mm. ; tail 22 ; hind foot 26. 



Skull — basal length 40 ; zygomatic breadth 31. 



The remarkable colour-contrasts of the Blesmol are at their 

 maximum in the Knysna form, from the lightening of the general 

 colour of back, sides, and cheeks, combined with the darkening 

 of the face-colour to black, so that the differences are far more 

 conspicuous. 



A^^ith regard to the dentition of Georychus, further consideration 

 confirms us in the idea suggested by Thomas t, that +he four 

 cheek-teeth are not p"*, m\ m'. and in"', as usually stated, but p", 



* P. Z, S, 1891, p. 587. . t P. Z. S. 1890, p. 419. 



