1900.] MUS SYLVATICUS AND ITS ALLIES. 411 



[Muscidus dichrurus, C. S. Rafinesque, Precis des Decouvertes et 

 Travaux somiologiques, p. 13 (1814). 



Myoocus siculce, Lesson, Man. de Maram. p. 27 (1827). 



Mus sylvaticus, J. H. Blasius, Siiugethiere Deutschlands, p. 322 

 (1857): Barrett-Hamilton, Ann. & Mag Nat. Hist. ser. 7, vol. ii. 

 p. 426 (Nov. 1898). 



Type locality. Sicily. 



Synonymy and Nomenclature. The substitution of the generic 

 name Muscidus for that of Mus is explained by Rafinesque under 

 heading of his Muscidus frugivorus ( = alexandrinus, Is. Greoffr.) 

 in the same work. He simply writes " J'ai change le nom trop 

 court et equivoque de Mus en Muscidus." 



Description and General Remarks. In the absence of a series of 

 the Long- tailed Field-mouse of Sicily I am as yet unable to decide 

 whether it be distinct or not. Mr. J. I. S. Whitaker has sent 

 over one or two specimens for identification, which, however, do 

 not form material sufficient to enable me to make a thorough 

 comparison. They seem to vary a good deal amongst themselves, 

 one being very red in the colour of the upperside and another 

 very much duller. The size seems to be larger than that of 

 M. s. intermedins^] 



11. MUS SYLA'ATICUS ALGIRUS. 



Mus algirus, Pomel, Compt. Rend. Ac. 8c. Paris, xlii. p. 654 

 (1856); nee Loche, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. p. 49, pi. i. (1858), and 

 Expl. de l'Algerie, sp. 78 (1867). 



Type locality. Algeria. 



Synonymy and Nomenclature. There can be no doubt that Pomel's 

 name refers to the Long-tailed Field-mouse of Algeria, and, as 

 this name exists, I propose to treat the form as subspecific, 

 although, as in other cases, I have no series of specimens. 



Distinguishing Characteristics. There is only one specimen of 

 Mus s. algirus in the British Museum of Natural History, but 

 that one, no. 52.5.27.62, although a very old French skin, is so 

 peculiar in appearance that I think it very probably represents 

 a distinguishable subspecies. The skin is a small one, but the 

 coloration suggests that it is that of an adult, the underside being 

 very white and the upperside almost chocolate in tint. 



The original description ran as follows: — "Pelage d'un gris- 

 brunatre, teint de jaune ou de roussatre, mcle de quelques longs 

 cils noirs ; parties inferieurs du corps, face interne des membres et 

 pieds blanch atres ; parfois une tache rousse a la poitrine : talon 

 brun ; oreilles presque rondes, courtes, avec une petit touffe devant 

 le meat ; une tache blanchatre derricre l'oreille; queue grise dessous, 

 brunissant de plus en plus vers le bout. Le corps mesure Om.,075 ; 

 la queue Om.,060. 



" Habitat des terriers dans les cultures et les broussailles ; quel- 

 quefois entre dans les maisons des campagnes." 



Distribution. According to Lataste, the Long-tailed Field-mouse 

 has been recorded for Barbary by Poiret, who states that he found 



