241 



November 24, 1857. 

 John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — ■ 



1. On Four New Species of Mus and one of Hapalotis 

 from Australia. By John Gould, F.R.S., V.P., etc. 



Mr. Gould alluded to the prevailing opinion that none but Mar- 

 supial animals were to be found in Australia, and observed that this 

 opinion may be correct to a certain extent, yet the Placentalia are 

 well represented in that country by numerous species of the genera 

 Hapalotis, Mus, &c. ; and remarked that in few countries are the 

 smaller members of the Rodentia more abundant both in species and 

 individuals. It is to this latter order that the four new species now 

 exhibited by him pertain. 



For the first of these he proposed the name of Mus assimilis ; this 

 animal is about the same size as the Mus decumanus of Europe, and 

 has a very similar aspect ; its hair, however, is more soft and silky, 

 and its incisor teeth very long and narrow. 



MUS ASSIMILIS. 



Face, all the upper surface and sides light brown, very finely pen- 

 cilled with black ; under surface greyish-buff, the base of the fur all 

 over the body dark slaty-grey ; whiskers black ; tail nearly destitute 

 of hairs ; all the feet clothed with very fine silvery-white hairs. 



Total length from nose to base of tail. ... 7\ inches. 



of the tail 6 „ 



of fore-arm 1 ,, 



of the tarsus and toes 1^ ,, 



Remark. — The minute silvery-white hairs of the feet give these 

 organs a very delicate appearance ; yet they are not positively white, 

 neither are they brown. 



The two specimens from which the above description was taken 

 and to which the remarks refer are from the banks of the Clarence 

 in New South Wales, where they were procured by the late Mr. 

 Strange. Three other specimens collected by Mr. Gilbert at King 

 George's Sound differ only in being about a fifth smaller in all 

 their admeasurements ; it is just possible that it will hereafter be 

 found that these latter animals are distinct from the former, but at 

 present they are regarded as identical ; and if such be the case, the 

 range of the species extends along the whole southern sea-board of 

 the continent from east to west. 



The second species is a short robust, compact Rat, equal in size 

 to the common Water Vole of England (Arricola amphibius), but 

 rather smaller than the Mus fuscipes of Australia. It is in every 



No. CCCXLII. — Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



