1 85 1 .] species of Birds inhabiting Ceylon. 167 



Murid^e. — Of the Rat tribe, Dr. Kelaart has forwarded 



1. Gerbillus indicus, F. Cuvier; from which we now doubt 

 whether G. Cuvieri, "Waterhouse, and G. Hardwickii, Gray, differ 

 constantly in any respect (vide J. A. S. XV, 138). At least, speci- 

 mens are perfectly similar from different parts of Bengal, S. India, 

 and Ceylon ; but we have not yet examined the skull of a Cinghalese 

 example. Dr. Kelaart remarks that Kandyan examples differ in no 

 respect from the Gerbil of the plains of Ceylon. 



2. Golunda Elliotti, Gray, Mag. N. H. 1837, p. 586 : Mus 

 hirsutus, Elliot ; M. cofceus, Kelaart. " The Coffee Eat of Ceylon, 

 a very destructive species, rooting up the coffee trees, and nearly 

 destroying whole plantations in one night, when some plant on which 

 they generally live is scarce in the jungle.' * (Kelaart.) 



3. G. meltada, Gray, ibid. : Mus lanuginosus, Elliot ; M. newera, 

 Kelaart. "We have little doubt about the correctness of the identifica- 

 tion of this species, although there is no S. Indian specimen in the 

 Society's museum to compare with it. In this type, as in Gerbillus, 

 the upper rodential tusks are distinctly grooved. 



4. Mus bandicota, Bechstein : M. giganteus, Hardwicke ; M. 

 ikria, Buch. Ham. ; M. nevorivagus, Hodgson, &c. " Common in 

 the paddy-fields round Cotta, doing great damage to the crops and 

 embankments ; the natives consider them very good-eating." (Layard). 



(Mr. Layard has also procured M. indicus, Geoffroy, v. Arvicola 

 indica, A. bengalensis, et Mus kok t Gray, M. providens, Elliot, and 

 probably M? pyctoris, Hodgson, Ann. Mag. N. H. XV, 267, if not 

 also Nesokia Hardwickii, Gray, ibid. X, 265. " Not uncommon 

 about Jaffna. The natives esteem them great delicacies, and they are 

 much sought after.")* 



5. M. DECUMANUS, L. 



(M. rattus, L. Included by Mr. Layard. In Calcutta, we have 

 only obtained this species from the shipping, and may remark that 

 there is a brown variety of it so much resembling the M. setifer, 



three specimens of Sc. laticaudatus, S. Miiller, apud Cantor, which is doubtless 

 the Rhinosciurus tupaioides, Gray, from Singapore, and possibly distinct from true 

 laticaudatus. One of these has been presented for the Society's museum. 



* From a recent letter from Dr. Kelaart, he also appears to have met with this 

 species at Kandy. 



