64 
MURIDAE RECORDED FROM VICTORIA 
The Eastern Water-Rat was originally described from a 
specimen collected in Tasmania. Geoffroy says, “Pelage 
brun-marrons en dessu, orange en dessous,” Gould better des- 
cribed the colour as “black mingled with buff, the former pre- 
dominating” above, and “rich, deep, reddish orange” below. 
However, the colour of the animal is very variable, and on the 
dorsal surface depends to a great extent on the number and 
length of the black hairs. Many variants have been described 
as distinct species, but the present practice is to divide the 
species into the following geographical races: 
Hydromys chrysogaster chrysogaster Geoffroy. 
The originally-described form in which the dorsal colour is very dark 
brown (almost black) and the ventral surface deep orange. The abrupt 
change of the long hairs to white on the sides of the body produces a well- 
defined line of demarcation between the dorsal and ventral surfaces. 
Type Locality. — Tasmania. 
Hydromys chrysogaster fulvolavatus Gould. 
Hydromys fulvolavatus Gould, Marnm. Aust., iii, pi. xxv, 1863 ; Thomas 
and Dolman, P.Z.S., p. 790, 1908. 
Hydromys chrysogaster fulvolavatus Collett, P.Z.S., p. 323, 1897 ; Wood 
Jones, Mamm. Sth. Aust., iii, p. 293, 1925. 
A pale form in which black hairs are few and the general colour of the 
dorsal surface is orange-tawny ; the ventral surface is not as richly orange 
and grades gently into the dorsal colouration. 
Type Locality. — River Murray, South Australia. 
Hydromys chrysogaster lutilla Gould. 
Hydromys lutilla Gould (ex. Macleay MS.), Mamm. Aust., Intro., 1863; 
Thomas and Dolman, P.Z.S., p. 790, 1908. 
A grey form with a white ventral surface and no white tip to the tail. 
Type Locality. — New South Wales. 
Hydromys chrysogaster reginae Thomas and Dolman. 
Hydromys chrysogaster reginae Thomas and Dolman, P.Z.S., p. 790, 
1908; Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (8), iv, p. 197, 1909. 
A grey form with a buffy ventral surface. Tail with the usual white tip. 
Type Locality. — Queensland. 
Through the kindness of Mr. T. E. Rose, of Brunswick, 
Victoria, I had the opportunity to examine some thousands of 
Water Rat skins from various localities in Victoria, but 
principally from northern (Murray River) districts. Practi- 
cally all colour forms were found amongst them, but no speci- 
men had a wholly-blaek tail, though the white tip varied in 
length from half-an-inch to more than five inches. 
