40 Memoirs of the Indian Museum. [Vol. I, 



base and tapers gradually to a very fine point. It is generally of an almost uniform 

 brownish-black, but the fact that pale-brown shows between the rings emphasizes the 

 rings and makes them very distinct, giving a smooth and regular appearance as 

 against the rough and irregular tail of decumanus. The rings average 8 to the cm. ; 

 from the base of the scales issue pointed, black or dark-brown hairs 2-2| rings depth in 

 length. In two out of the ii observed, the tail was as it may be in M. decumanus, 

 with the scales white or rather pale horny colour, and the hairs black. The colouring 

 of the tail is always uniform, and I have never seen a white tip. 



Feet. — The feet are very characteristic owing to their excessive size, atreous with 

 the footpads round just as in Nesokia bengalensis. Numbers 184, 212 and 215 showed 

 the small circular postero-external pad just as in Nesokia bengalensis^ but the median 

 pads were cordiform as in M. decumanus or M. rattus. The colour of the feet is brown 

 to black, but a few long, white hairs may be found over the roots of the claws. These 

 are horny, white, strong, and curved, except in the poUex which is tubercular and 

 bears a nail. The " lines of the hand " are very marked in the sole of the hind foot. 

 In the. coloured plate the artist has made the foot rather large, as the specimen was not 

 quite full grown and the drawing was enlarged to full size. 



Ears. — The ears are long and large, averaging 27 cm. In four instances out of 

 II they only reach the eyes ; in two they half cover, in two they are -3 and -4 cm. short 

 of the eyes, and in three the relative position is unspecified. The colour is brown, 

 covered with fine, short hair, except inside and in the lower part of the dorsal surface. 

 I V Mamm^e.—Blaniovd gives six pairs, but does not allocate them. In the two in- 

 stances where I have noted it, the formula is f and f . In the male the scrotum is very 

 small and insignificant, particularly compared with the enormous protrusion generally 

 so noticeable in the other rats I have described. In two instances the scrotum at first 

 seemed empty, and only very small and shrivelled-looking testes were found in section. 

 Even when the scrotum is apparently well filled, the testes are less than the size of a 

 hazel nut. , , 



THE SPECIFIC DISTINCTION BETWEEN iV. BANDICOTA AND 



N. NEMORIVAGUS. 



Anderson makes the difference in external appearance one of size, but lays down 

 very definitely the skull differences, namely, that N. elliotanus (i.e., nemorivagus) is 

 less elongated, has a shorter muzzle and less breadth between the lachrymal foramina, 

 while the nasals are much shorter and not so broad. He had rather a limited series of 

 N. elliotanus to deal with, consisting apparently of one from Purnea, two from Calcutta, 

 one from Sibsagar, Assam, and one from the Khasi Hills. In my own series of eight 

 adult skulls, all from Calcutta, I failed to make out the differences described, after a close 

 comparison with the Indian Museum series of N. bandicota. On the other hand there 

 is a very considerable amount of variation in this latter series, i.e., that of A^. bandicota. 

 The skulls from Manbhoom and Guna differ considerably from the two from Ceylon. 

 Anderson noted this and remarks : " Although these Guna rats and the bandicoot 



