6i8 



MURID^— EPIMYS 



DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES:— 



1 Males Nos. 7 and 19 were black specimens (" liibernicus "). 



Weight : — Of twenty " ordinary '' and apparently adult rats weighed 

 at Kilmanock on 13th October 1910, fifteen males averaged 13-6 

 ounces, or 385 grammes, and five females averaged 14-5 ounces, or 

 411 grammes. Higher weights are given in the table above, but 

 specimens weighing more than 17 ounces, or 481 grammes, are 

 exceptional. Two examined by the editor of the Field reached 20-5 

 ounces, or 581 grammes (a male), and 23 ounces, or 651 grammes, 

 respectively {Field, 30th July 1887, 199, and 5th January 1889, 27). 

 Neglecting anonymous records, there are at least six other records 

 in the Field of weights of over 20 ounces ; of these the two heaviest 

 are here given for what they are worth: — A male, 29 ounces, or 821 

 grammes, killed ist January 1900 (R. B. Whitford, Field, 20th January 

 1900, 95); one, 31-5 ounces, or 892 grammes, killed in 1883 (F. W. 

 Cock, Field, 21st January 1888, 91); but it would be safer to take 

 the 23-ounce specimen examined by the editor as holding the record.^ 



Skull: — Condylo-basal length, 43-4 to 54-2; zygomatic breadth, 

 20'2 to 286; interorbital constriction, 6-2 to "j-^; occipital breadth, 

 i6-2 to 21-2; median occipital depth, 104 to 13-4; length of a nasal, 



Mt is worthy of note that this specimen was sent in as weighing 28 ounces ; it 

 must be remembered, however, as Mr Cocks points out, that animals when dead very 

 soon begin to lose weight. 



