346 MISS DOROTHY M. A. BATE OK THE [DeC. 1, 



Cyprus, writes * that they cause much damage to the Karoub trees, 

 the fruit of which forms one of the most important exports of the 

 island. They are very easily trapped, and were especially plentiful 

 in the Papho District close to the streams, many of which have 

 high banks densely covered with brambles and bushes. In this 

 growth, generally at a height of eight or ten feet, they build their 

 nests, which are loosely made of leaves and coarse herbage, and 

 lined with finer grasses, or else entirely composed of leaves of the 

 tall bamboo-like reeds that here and there edge the streams. The 

 entrance is at one side of the nest, which is flatly domed like a 

 squirrel's drey, and, from a casual inspection, would appear to be 

 nothing more than a bunch of rubbish or dead leaves, which the 

 thickness of the vegetation prevented falling to the ground. 



These rats move about without difficulty amongst trees and 

 bushes, often at a considerable height above the ground. One 

 evening, whilst passing through an orchard, I saw one sitting in a 

 clump of brambles about a couple of yards away and busily feeding 

 on the bb,ckbei-ries which it held to its mouth with both f oi-e paws 

 in an attitude similar to that adopted by a squirrel when eating a 

 nut. These rodents also make use of holes in banks and amongst 

 rocks, making it seem likely that the nests built in bushes may be 

 used only during the warmer months of the year. 



I never met with any examples of the typical black form, but 

 was told of some having been seen in a store-house at Larnaka, 

 the chief port of the island. 



The Brown Rat from Cyprus has previously been recorded as 

 Mils decumamis t and also as 31. alexandi'inus, but the latter name 

 appears to be strictly applicable only to the brown form of M. ?-attus 

 with grey underparts — a house-haunting race J. 



12. Mus MuscuLUS GEXTiLis Brants. 



The specimens of this mouse from Cyprus resemble those from 

 the Soudan in the collection of the British Museiim, the fur of 

 the underparts being pm-e white, with the proximal ends of the 

 hairs gi'ey in only some examples. 



In the five specimens obtained the tails are long, in each case 

 exceeding the length of the head and body, in this respect 

 i-eversing the propoi'tions that obtain in the wild form of 

 M. musc'idus found in Portugal §. This mouse is common in the 

 island, being found not only in the open country but also in out- 

 houses and buildings near towns, and although it seems most 

 likely, I am unable to say whether or not this form also haunts 

 the houses in towns. I do not remember seeing any of the darker 

 coloured typical If. rmisculus. 



* ' The Cavob Tree,' by P. Gennadius. Nikosia, Cyprus, 1902. 

 t Unger and Kotsehy, op. cit. 



X See ' Zoology of Eygpt,' Mammalia (Anderson), 1902, p. 274. 

 § Mr. Oldfield Thomas, " On a wild-living Mouse of the Mas muscaltis group ii\ 

 Portugal," Zoologist, vol. xx. 1896, pp. 137-9. 



