216 



Catalogue of Mammalia 



[Oct, 



about three parts grown. The mouth of the earth was very large, and 

 completely blocked up with small stones ; the passage gradually wi- 

 dened into a large cavity, from the roof of which some other passages 

 appeared to proceed, but there was only one communication with the 

 surface, viz. the entrance. The old pair were seated on a bed of peb- 

 bles, near which, on a higher level, was another collection of stones, 

 probably intended for a drier retreat. The young ones were in one of 

 the passages likewise furnished with a heap of small stones. 



41. — Mus Lepidus. — New species. 



Buduga, Canarese °D0^o^ 



Chitta burkani t ~\ 



Chit yelka, V Tel. of Wuddurs.&^tf^S- £f^*f- fttpKoQ. 

 Chitta ganda, ) 



This pretty little species resembles the preceding, but is only about 

 one third of the size. The colour is similar, but paler, and it has the 

 same pure white under surface, separated from the upper by an exact 

 line. The spines are small, fine, transparent, and of a dusky tinge, 

 tipt with fawn. The head is very long, being nearly one third the 

 length of the body, and the muzzle pointed. The ears are large, ovate, 

 naked. Incisors white. Tail naked, scaly. Limbs rather long, fine 5 

 the 3 middle digits of the hind foot produced, as in Gerbillus, the two 

 outer ones much shorter and nearly equal. 



The dimensions of an old male were — length of body 2-^th inch 5 

 of tail, 2 x Vh; total 5 a %-tli ; of head T ^th ; of ear 4£-10th; of fore 

 palm 2|-10ih; of hind palm T 6 -g-th; weight 6 drs., but in general it does 

 not exceed a J of an oz. (or 4 drs.). 



Lives generally in pairs in the red soil, but sometimes a pair of young 

 ones is found in the same burrow with the old ones. Does not pro- 

 duce more than 4 or 5 at a birth. 



42. — Sciurus Palmarum, Gmel. — Rat Palmist e, Brisson. 



a. common variety. 



b. darker coloured, peculiar to the Ghats. . 

 Alalu Canarese ©S<£)Q 



Gilheri Dekhani [ ... <~$jM^ 



Urta of the Wuddurs. . 



The common species is sufficiently well known; the other, found only 

 In the forests of the Ghats, is darker, the front and the back between 

 the stripes reddish brown, the stripes small, narrower than in the com- 

 mon kind, and not extending the whole length of the back. 



