24 



Memoirs of the Indian Museum. 



[Vol.. I, 



of this statement is that the M. nitidus of Simla has been confused with alexan- 

 drinus. The fur is longer, darker, and thicker than in the M. rattus of the plains ; 

 the underfur on the belly is y$ mm. long and on the back 12-5 mm., the same 

 length as the black and yellow-tipped hairs. The long, black hairs of the back are 

 from 30 to 35 mm. in length. The belly is a dirty grey which, with the tail light 

 coloured underneath, gives the general effect rather of a young M. decumanus than 

 of M. rattus. The tail is rather attenuated at the end. The large and prominent eye 

 distinguishes it from M. decumanus. The feet are white above, and have the soles 

 slightly atreous, though not more so than is found in a dark specimen of the ordinary 

 M. rattus. Blanford makes the soles of the feet white. 



The following are the principal measurements of fresh specimens ; the crania of 

 the immature ones were not measured. The only point of difference between these 

 crania and those of Calcutta rattus was very slight, the occipital bone was not 

 quite so vertical, though presenting nothing like the slope seen in M. decumanus. 

 On none of the specimens examined was a single flea found, but a minute mite was 

 always found in large numbers. One sickly rat swarmed with them.^ 



Body Measurements of Darjeeling Mus rattus var. nitidus. 









, 











No. 



vSex. 



Date. 



Head and body. 



Tail. 



Hind foot. 



Ears. 



Relation of ear 

 to eye. 



1 



â 



12-6-06 



18 

 100 





37 

 2111 



2'I 



11-66 



Half covers. 



2 



— 



14-6-06 



13 



100 



13-5 

 103-8 



33 

 25-38 



2 



15-38 



> > ; J 



3 



— 



14-6-06 



13 



100 



14 

 107-6 



3-2 

 24-61 



2 



15-38 



" " 



4 



â 



18-6- ':6 



19-5 



100 



i8-5 



94-8 



3-6 

 18-46 



2-2 



11-28 



Covers. 



5 



i 



18-6-06 



i8-S 

 100 



i8-5 

 100 



3-5 



18-85 



2-2 



11-88 



Half covers. 



Mus vicerex from Simla described by Bonhote {loc. cit. antea) seems identical 

 with the Mus nitidus of Darjeeling in every particular save that the former is said 

 to have the ear fringed with a line of short, white hairs, probably an unimportant 

 local variation. 



' vSpecimens of a similar mite obtained from Nesokia hengahnsis and Mm decumanus have been 

 identified by Mr. Warburton as a species of Hcemagamasus. 



