1905.] MAMMALS FROM ZULULAND. 267 



close to water. Like other members of the genus, they will 

 seldom take baits, but are usually caught by their accidentally 

 running over the trap. They live singly or in pairs, and do not 

 burrow."— 0. H. B. G. 



27. Otomys laminatus Thos. & Schw^. 



Otomys laminatus Thos. & Scliw. Abstr. P. Z. S. ISTo. 18 p. 23, 

 April 25, 1905. 



c?. 657. ?. 673. Sibudeni. 



This species may be shoi'tly described as a member of the 

 irroratus group, with nine or occasionally ten laminae on the thu-d 

 upper molars instead of six or seven, and seven on the first lower 

 instead of four. 



Genei-al colour of the upper surface, in the type, raw umbei- 

 (Ridgway), slightly more rufous on the rump, which may, how- 

 ever, be due to faded fur, and paler on the flanks. The female 

 distinctly darker in colour, more as in irroratihs. Fur soft, fine, 

 and thick, about 20 mm. long, basal four-fifths blackish slate, a 

 subterminal ring rufous, exti-eme tip black. Under surface dull 

 yellowish, the bases of the hau-s grey. Forehead and cheeks like 

 back ; lips, interramia, and throat dull yellowish white. Ears of 

 medium length, internal sm^face thinly covered with fine yellowish 

 hair, naked externally. Upper surface of hands and feet blackish 

 grey. Tail thickly barred, blackish above, dull buffy below. 



Skull as in irroratus, but with a widely different laminal for- 



, . 3—2—9 

 mula, VIZ. : ^ — ^ — ^. 



Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh) : — Head and 

 body 180 mm. ; tail 120 ; hind foot 31 ; ear 22. 



Skull — greatest length 44 ; basilar length 35 ; zygomatic 

 breadth 22 ; nasals 20 x 8-4 ; interorbital breadth 4-5 ; palate 

 length 20'4 ; length of upper molar series (crowns) 9*7 ; antero- 

 posterior diameter of bulla 7*2. 



Hah. Sibudeni, Zululand. Alt. 1050 m. 



Tyjye. Male. B.M. no. 4.5.1.45. Original no. 657. Collected 

 -1 January, 1904. 



The difference between the laminal formula of this species and 

 0. irroratus is so great that we have no doubt the former should 

 be speciflcally distinguished. Mr. Sclater, in his ' Mammals of 

 South Africa ' *, mentions a specimen from Pondoland that agrees 

 with larainatus in having nine laminae on the third upper molar, 

 and should probably be referred to this species. With the ex- 

 ception of this specimen, no greater variation has been recorded 

 than between six and seven. 



With regai'd to Lichtenstein's Euryotis ohscura from Kaffraria, 

 we are infoi-med by Dr. Matschie that the type is not now to be 

 found in the Berlin Museum, so that the name may well remain 

 buried in the synonymy of the common 0. irroratus. 



* Vol. ii. p. 27. 



