KUNGL SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAK. BAND 48. N:0 5, 99 



Arvicanthis abyssinicus prseceps Wroughton. 



Weoughton: Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 1909, Ser. 8, Vol. IV, p. 538. 



A specimen caught at Fort Hall "/» 1911 has been sent to British Museum for 

 examination, and Mr. Guy Dollman has kindly communicated that it is identical 

 with Wroughton's subspecies described from Naivasha under the name quoted above. 

 This variety has also been recorded from Baringo and Rumruti on the Laikipia 

 plateau, and from Nandi by Dollman*, but not east of Kenia before this. 



Arvicanthis somalicus reptans (Dollman). 



Dollman: Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 1911, Ser. 8, Vol. VHI, p. 129 & 352. 



A series of nine specimens of this race were collected around our camp at Le- 

 kiundu river only a short distance from Nyama Yango, the type-locality recorded by 

 Dollman, and only a few days later viz. 8 — 9 Pebr. 1911. Three more specimens 

 were caught on the southern side of Guaso Nyiri at the ford on the Marsabit road 

 11 — 13 Febr. 1911. The latter specimens are darker than those from Lekiundu river 

 and have less buff on the sides and on the face. The lower side of one is also 

 considerably darker. This is, however, undoubtedly only individual variation. The 

 variability is also in other respects evidently a little greater than is expressed by 

 Dollman (1. c). The greatest length of the skull of my biggest male specimen from 

 Lekiundu is 30,3 mm. Condyloincisive length 28,2 mm. but zygomatic breadth only 

 15 mm.; interorbital constriction 4,7 mm., length of nasals 11 mm. etc. as recorded 

 by Dollman. 



I suppose that this race is to be regarded as a southern representative of J. 

 somalicus, which also is in accordance with the occurrence of other representatives 

 of the Somalifauna in the country round Guaso Nyiri. 



Arvicanthis pulchellus massaicus (Pagenstecher). 



Pagensteckee: Jahrb. Hamburg, wiss. Anst., 1884, p. 45. 



This Striped Rat was found to be common in the Kikuyu and Meru countries 

 and was collected in 19 specimens at the following localities between Nairobi and 

 Meru boma enumerated from south to north. Blue Post, Punda Melia, Kagio, Kutu, 

 Embu boma, in the forest on eastern Kenia, in shambas 2000 m. above the sea, at 

 Kazere, and another place not far southwest of Meru boma, and finally at the latter 

 place itself. It was as a rule found in or near » shambas s or in places which had 

 been formerly cultivated. Only once it was found in the forest of Kenia, and never 

 on the acacia-steppe north of Meru, or in the thornbush north of Guaso Nyiri. 



1 Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1911, Ser. 8, Vol. VIH, p. 348., 



