210 MTJEINiE. 



Gen. Plataoahthomys, Blyth. 



3 3 



Char. — Molars - — - ; equal in size except the last upper one, which is 



smaller than the rest, surrounded with enamel, with three or four trans- 

 verse folds ; incisors smooth, compressed ; muzzle acute ; ears moderate, 

 nude ; tail hairy, the hairs arranged distichously ; whiskers very long ; 

 upper parts densely covered with sharp flat spines, mixed with an exceed- 

 ingly delicate, thin undercoat ; a few spines also on the lower part but 

 smaller and finer ; hallux nail-less. Blyth states that the rodential tusks are 

 quite those of Myoxus, and that its whole habit is myoxine. Professor 

 Peters too says the resemblance of this genus to the dormouse at first sight 

 is very striking, principally on account of the long haired tail ; but in other 

 respects, in its smaller eyes, very thin ears, and the well developed, 

 although very short, thumb of the fore-foot, it more approaches several 

 murine genera of tropical India. The peculiarities of the skull, in which it 

 deviates from the murine type are, according to Peters, the small and 

 narrow foramina incisiva, formed only by the intermaxillary bones, the 

 imperfect perforate palate, and the very short coronoid process of the lower 

 jaw. 



198. Flatacanthomys lasiurus. 



Blyth, Proo. As. Soc. Calc. 1859. Cat. p. 109. 



The Long-tailed Spiny-modse. 



Descr. — General color a somewhat light rufescent-brown ; under fnr 

 paler. On the forehead and crown, where the hair is very full, the color is 

 more rufescent ; whiskers chiefly black ; lower parts dull or subdued white. 

 The hairs on the tail darker than the body color, infuscated, except at the 

 tip of the tail, where they are dull white, forming a conspicuous pale tail- 

 tip. 



Length of one, head and body 6 inches ; tail 3-^, 1^ more to the end of 

 the hair ; ear posteriorly ■^, ovoid and all but naked ; hind-foot 1. 



This very interesting addition to the Fauna of Southern Lidia was 

 found by Rev. Mr. Baker, in the hill ranges of the Western Ghats of south 

 Malabar, and also in Cochin and Travancore. " I was ignorant of the ex- 

 istence of this animal," says Mr. Baker, " till about a year ago when I found 

 it in a range of hills about 3,000 feet high. It lives in the clefts of the rocks 



