MTJS DORSALIS.— S m ith .
M ammalia.— P late XLYI. F ig . 2 .
M. superne pallide rubro-aurantium subnigra=pemcellatum; dorso line* longitudinal subnigrd notato;
oapjte postice Into;. rostra obtuse et obesso; pilis longis rigidis recumbentibus.
Longitudo e nasi apice ad basin caudle 4 unc.; caudse 4 unc. 6 lin. '
C o l o d e , &c. The surface colour of the upper and lateral parts of the head,
the back, the sides, and the outer surface of the extremities, a pale buff or
reddish orange, profusely pencilled with liver-brown : the back with a liver-
brown stripe,-about a line in width, extending between the base of the neck
and the root of the tail. Lips, chin, space round angles of mouth, throat,
belly, and inner surface of extremities, rusty white; legs towards toes rusty
sienna-yellow; muzzle an uniform rusty ochre-yellow; eyebrows reddish
orange; ears anteriorly and posteriorly deep reddish orange. Eyes livers
brown. Hair towards the root slate-coloured.
F o r m , &c.—Figure rather robust; head, posteriorly, broad ; anteriorly,
narrow and tapered. Muzzle rather full, compressed, and slightly obtuse!
Ears rather large, and posteriorly semicircular. Hinder extremities strong
and rather long. Hair of head, back, and sides, long and rigid; of belly
short and rather soft; everywhere recumbent; hair of tail short, rigid, and
closely set.
DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines.
Length from tip of nose to base of tail. 4 0
°f tail .............................. 6
... Inches. Lines.
Length of tarsus, toes, and claws of
hinder extremities ............................ i 2
Height of animal when standing ....... l 10
This little mouse occurs only sparingly within the limits o f the colony, but abundantly beyond
the Northern Frontier to the north of the Great'Orange River. The width of its head posteriorly,
and the bulk of the muzzle furnish characters which enable us readily to distinguish it
from M m Pumelio, even without taking into account the greater length and rigidity of its
hair, and the existence only of one dark stripe along the back.