1893.] ME. O. THOMAS ON MAMMALS FROM KYASALAND. 503 



16. MUS MUSCULUS, L. 



a, b. Ad. sks. Zoraba. 10/92. 

 e. Ad. al. Milanji. 10/92. 



17. Mus (Leggada) mixutoides, A. Sm. 

 a-c. Ad. sks. Zomba. 10/92, 



18. Ceicetomys GAMBi.\jsrus, Waterh. 

 rt. Ad. sk. Zomba. 10/92. 



19. Saccostomus campesteis \ Pet. 

 a. Ad. sk. Upper Shire. 11/92. 



b-f. Ad. & imm. al. Port Johnston. 11/92. 



20. StEATOMTS PEATEXSIS ', Pet. 



a-c. Ad. sks. Zomba. 10/92. 



d. Ad. al. c? . Milanji. 10/92. 



These rare and peculiar short-tailed African Muridse, witb their 

 donbtful affinities, are of the greatest interest, and it is probable that 

 a clue to some of the most difficult problems of Murine phylogeny 

 will be gained by a study of their teeth. For these reasons 

 specimens of Saccostom^is and fSteatomi/f; are most acceptable, and 

 it is to be hoped that Mr. Whyte will also come across examples 

 of the still rarer Malacotlirix and Mystromiis, approximately similar 

 in size and proportions, but with vei'y different teeth. 



Although similar to each other superficially, these four last- 

 named genera appear to belong to three different subfamilies^ 

 Mystromiis seeming to be sti'ictly Cricetine; ^Steatomys, as Alston 

 has stated ^, being closely allied to Dendrowys, as also are Mcdacothrix 

 and Dendromys • \^■hile Loplmromys, Saccostomus, and Cricetomys 

 ought, I believe, all to be placed in the restricted subfamily Murinae. 

 Of these last three the first was placed by Alston in the Dendro- 

 myinse and the other two in the Cricetina3. 



21. Dekdeomys mesomelas, Bts. 



a. Ad. sk. Zomba. 10/92. 



b-f. 5 in al. Milanji. 



These specimens, although 1 place them provisionally under the 

 oldest name, JJ. mesomelas, certainly seem to differ constantly from 

 the ordinary form of that species in being entirely without the 

 black dorsal line and in being considerably smaller. In these 

 respects they agree with t\\o out of the previous collection, 

 while two others are of the usual large-striped character. They thus 

 correspond with Wagner's D.immilio, descvihed in 1841'', but after- 

 wards ' considered by him as a synonym of D. mesomelas. Larger 

 series from different localities are, however, needed before one can 



' For noruenoliiture sco Ann. Mag. N. II. (0) x. p. 204 (18'J2). 



'' P. Z. S. 187(i, p. 82. 



' Mijncli. Gelclirt. Aiizoiger, xii. p. 437. 



* Schr. fcjilut'. Supp. iii. p. 404 (1843). 



34* 



