274 NEW MAMMALS AND BIEDS 



Characters: — A small concolorous rat with a bicolored 

 tail: base of pelage throughout dark neutral grey, the fur long 

 and soft, thickly beset on the back with long, slender, pliable 

 spines. Tail almost the same length as the head and body. 



Measurements: — Head and body 12(J : tail, 126; hind- 

 foot, 27 mm. (measured in the flesh). Skull: greatest 

 length, 34.4; condylo-basilar length, 28.8; diastema, 8.3; 

 upper molar row, 6.0; length of palatal foramina, 4.5 ; median 

 nasal length, 12.9; breadth of nasals, 3.2: zygomatic breadth, 

 14.9 mm. 



Specimens e. rami tied : — Fifteen. 



Epimys stragulum, sp. nov. Type: — Adult male (skin 

 and skull), Federated Malay States Museums, No. 482/14, 

 collected at Sungei Kring, Korinchi Peak, 7,300', West 

 Sumatra, on 30th April 1914, by IT. C. Robinson and C. Boden 



Ivloss. 



Characters: — A species of the concolor-ephippium group 



but with the pelage long and soft, beset with a number of 

 slender, long, hardly distinguishable spines, with dark tips and 

 whitish centres. Skull and teeth like those of E. ephippium 9 

 but with the bullae smaller and the posterior termination of 

 the nasals a little narrower. 



Measurements: — Head and body, 109; tail. 136: hind- 

 foot, 23 (measured in flesh). Skull: greatest length, 30.0; 

 condylo-basilar length, 25.0; diastema, 7.4; upper molar row, 

 5.0 ; length of palatal foramina, 5.2 ; median nasal length, 

 10.7; breadth of nasals, 3.0; zygomatic breadth, 14.3 mm. 



Specimens examined : — Ten. 



Epimys rattus argentiv enter subsp. nov. Type : — 

 Adult male with worn teeth (skin and skull), Federated Malay 

 States Museums, Xo. 602/14, collected at Pasir Ganting, 

 coast of West Sumatra, Tat. 2° 7' S., on 20th June 1914, by 

 H. C. Eobinson and C. Boden Ivloss. 



Characters: — Tike E. r. neglect us (Jent,) 10 but with the 

 annulations of the fur of the upper parts coarser and less 

 ochraceous and with the underparts silver-grey throughout. 

 Tail shorter than head and body. Skull with larger bullae, 

 palatal foramina and teeth. 



Measurements : — Head and body, 184; tail, 173 ; hindfoot, 

 32 mm. Skull : greatest length, 41.0 ; condylo-basilar length, 

 36.2; diastema, 11.0; upper molar row, 7.9; length of palatal 

 foramina, 8.5 ; median nasal length, 14.7 ; breadth of nasals, 

 4.2 ; zygomatic breadth, 19.8 mm. 



Specimens examined: — One, the type. 



9. Mus ephippium, Jentinlc, Notes Leyden Museum, ii, p. 15 (1880). 



10. Mus neglectus, Jentinlc, Notes Leyden Museum, ii, p. 14 (1880). 



Jour. Straits Branch 



