1887 | Zoology. IQI 
the cretaceous hills of the valleys of Salween and Aracan occur 
isolated species, more numerous and interesting than those 
of the flat country that separates them. Two hills fifteen miles 
apart have a different molluscan fauna, and many forms are 
confined to this region. Besides the, to some extent, special 
fauna of these hills near Maulmain, three other molluscan faunæ 
can be distinguished : first, that of Aracan and southern Pegu, 
considerably resembling that of Assam and of the Himalayas; 
second, that of Upper Burmah and Thayet, resembling that of 
India, Central Asia, and China; and, third, that of Tenasserim, 
allied to that of Siam and the Malay Peninsula and connected 
with that of the Malayan Archipelago. 
Description of a New Species of Wood-Rat from Cerros 
Island, off Lower California (Neotoma bryanti sp. nov.).—Mr. 
` Walter E. Bryant has kindly presented to me the skin and skull 
of a wood-rat collected by him January 11, 1885, on Cerros 
Island, off Lower California, in lat. 28° 12’ N. 
Concerning its capture he writes as follows: “On the shore of 
a small, shallow lake, about two thousand feet in altitude, on 
Cerros Island, I found a nest composed of the large dry leaves 
of the Maguey plant (Agave). It was built among small living 
plants of the same kind, which held it so firmly that I could not 
overturn it. It was about. four feet high and as much or a little 
more in diameter at base. One of our party set fire to the struc- 
ture, and while it was enveloped in flame and smoke a scorched 
rat ran out, which I shot. This was the only nest and only rat 
seen on the island.” 
This unfortunate circumstance, together with the fact that the 
skin was preserved in brine, explains the very poor condition in 
which it reached me. Enough remains, however, to show that 
the species differs remarkably from all known representatives of 
the genus in possessing a very dark belly, which, in this indi- 
vidual at least, is absolutely concolor with the back and sides. 
It may be added that the dark color of the under parts is in no 
way due to the scorching above mentioned. In all the pre- 
viously described species the belly is pure white, or nearly white, 
in sharp contrast to the color of the upper parts. 
This animal may be distinguished from its congeners by the 
following characters : 
_NEOTOMA BRYANTI sp. nov. Bryant's Wood-Rat. (Type No. 
2838, 
1833 
Size large, about equal to that of eastern specimens of N. flori- 
dana; hind foot, 37 mm.; tail naked, its length uncertain, part 
of it being wanting; ears, apparently about the size of those of 
eastern 7 , but too imperfect to admit of measurement; 
head, throat, and body all round, dark slate color, almost sooty, 
13 
VOL, XXI. —NO. 2. 
male, immature; Merriam Collection.) 
