THOMAS, OLDFIELD

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ON A COLLECTION OF RATS AND SHREWS FROMTHE DUTCH EAST INDIAN ISLANDSbyOLDfiELD THOMAS,British Museum.I owe to the kindness of Dr. K. W. DAMMERMAN the opportunityof examininga large number of Rats and Shrews which have been accu-mulatedin the Zoological Museumat Buitenzorg.These have mostlybeenobtainedby various Dutch officials in connectionwith thestudyof plague,andas a consequencethey are usually the specieswhich occur in andaroundthe various ports and principal towns, thesebeing in the case oftheratsgenerally members of the Rattusrattusgroup and may for thepresentbe set aside under the provisional nameof Rattusneglectus,JENT.Thereare also a number referableto the Rattusconcolorgroup, of whichthearchipelagorepresentativeshavegenerallybeencalledR. ephippium,JENT.And thereare, of course, some Mus musculus.Of none of thesewould alist be worth publication.But amongthe othersthere are many of interest,and a list of themwith localitiesand notes, may be of value to mammalogists.The majority of the new specieshave alreadybeen described in theAnnalsand Magazineof Natural History for March, 1921.1. Lenomysmeyeri,JENT;cf' 1.2. Amoerang,N. Celebes.2. Rattusxanthurus,ORA Y.cf' 3. Menado.cf' 4.5.6. Amoerang.3. Rattusdominator,THOS.¥ 7. Menado, leg. MOHAR!.4. Rattusmarmosurus,THOS.cf' 8. Toradjalanden,Mamasa,Celebes.The study of the additional materialof this interestinggroup of ratswith white-endedtails has resultedin the descriptionof threenewspecies,of which Rattus dominatoris the finest. The original specimenswerecollectedby Dr. CHARLES HOSE in 1895,and he gives me the followingnoteon their place of capture:"I found a large rock basin on the top of the mountainin which,waterhad collected to the depth of three or four feet and decided to,.l•110 TREUBIA VOL. II, 1.IC:iI -.--camp therefor severaldays. The top of the mountainwas coveredwithsmall forest trees,and the usual undergrowthwhiCh, owing to thefactthatthey were able to getwater, many small mammalshadtakenadvantageof."The speciesspeciesof the group found in N. Celebesare now fourin number,namelyRattusdominator,THOS.Largest. Skull about 56 mm. in total length. Fur without speciallyelongated piles. Incisors opisthodont. Skull with long taperingnasals,projectedzygomaticplateand short palatalforamina.Rattusxanthurus,ORA Y.Rathersmaller. Skull about 50 mm. in length. Back with elongatedpiles. Incisors orthodont.Skull with heavysupraorbitalridges,littleprojectedzygomaticplate,and large:palatalforamina.Rattuscelebensis,ORA Y.Size as last. Fur comparativelyshort, without longer piles Skullwith light ridges, short zygomaticplate and small palatalforamina.Rattusmarmosurus,THOS.Again smaller. Skull 45 mm. Fur very long and trespassing011 tothe base of the tail. Ridges of medium development;zygomaticplateshort; palatalforaminalarge; molars small.A fifth species with a white-endedtail is RattuscaUitrichus,JENT.,but this does not appearto be~ng to qyite the samegroup. Itsfur issoft,and more like that of Rattusjratrorum. Length of skull about 50 mm.Bullre small, much smallerthen in the xanthurusgroup.5. Rattusdammermani,THOS.A large harsh-furred rat of the rattus-neglectusgroup. Mammce3-3= 12.Size about as large as in R. miilleri.Fur exceedingly poor, harsh, and thin, withhardly <inyunderfur, the chief part of the pelageformed by thenumerousnarrow spinoushairs. General colour above rufous-brown, the spiny hairs whitish at base, with darkbrown tips. Under surface dull whitish, fairly sharply defined, the hairs light to theirbases; middle line of chest faintly darker. Limbs more reddish brown, hands and feetwhitish. Tail long, short-haired, uniformly brown. Mammce 3-3= 12.Skul1 strongly built, elongate, with long narrow nasals, strongly developed supra-orbital ridges, which sweep evenly round to the outer corners of the interparietalwithout forming any postorbital process or angle. Zygomatic plate strongly convex.Palatal foramina long, reaching past the level of the front root of ml, Bullcefairly large,Incisors orthodont. Molars proportionally smal1.Dimensions of the type (measured on a stuffed specimen):-Head and body 206 mm.; tail 252; hind foot 43; ear (no doubt shrunk) 17.Skull: greatest length 50; condylo-incisive length 48; zygomatic breadth25; nasals19.7; interorbital breadth 7.3; breadth across parietal ridges 15.8; zygomatic plate6;palatilar length 24; palatal foramina 9.1; postforaminal palate 10.1;upper molarseries8.Hab. (of type). Wadjo, N. Celebes, at the N. W. corner of the Gulf of Tomini.Type.Adult female. B, M, no. 21.2,9.7. Original number 105.Collected 12thApril,1915,by the Dutch Controleur. Presented by the Buitenzorg Museum. One specimen.(Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. Ser. 9, Vol.VII, March 1921,p. 247.),I•THOMAS: Rats and 5.hrews. 111This fine rat is namedafter Dr. DAMMERMAN, to whose kindness Iowe the opportunityof working out this interestingArchipelagocolJection.The specieshas some resemblanceto R. miilleri,JENT. but would appearto be reallya large memberof the R. rattus-neglectusgroup. Its mammreare3-3=12 in number,while R. miillerihas only 2 - 2=8.6. Rattuspesticulus,THOS.A dwarf member of the rattus-neglectusgroup.Size very small, hardly greater than in the concolorgroup. Fur thin and coarse,not definitely spinous. General colour above dull reddish brown, sides rather greyer,undersurface sharplydefinedwhite, thehairs on the throat with grey bases. Hands and feetwhite.Tail of medium length, thinly haired, liglit brown, almostwhite basally. Mammre3-3=12.Skull conspicuously smaller in all dimensions than in neglectlls,but of about thesamegeneral proportions. Supraorbital beadsdistinct; no postorbital projections. Palatalforaminato the level of the front root of mi. Bullre of normal size.Dimensions of the type (measured on a stuffed specimen);-Head and body 151mm.; tail 148; hind foot 30; ear (no doubt shrunk) 13.Skull: greatest length 37.5; condylo-incisive length 36; zygomatic breadth 18;nasals13; breadth across parietal ridges 14; palatilar length 18.5; palatal foramina 7.4;uppermolar series 6.5.Hab. Menado, Celebes.Type. Adult female. B. M. no. 21.2.9.11. Temporary number 16. Collected 1908by Mohari. One specimen.This pygmy member of the rattus-neglP,j:tusgroup is an island analogue of thesmall S.-Indiall R. r. wrouglztoniand R. kandianus,but'seems to deserve a specialspecificname.(Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. Ser.9, Vol. VII, March 1921,p.248.)7. Rattusmordax,THOS.cf 18. N. New Guinea.8. Rattusfratrorum,THOS.cf 10. Amoerang, N. Celebes.~ 9. Menado, Leg. MOHAR!.9. Rattuschrysocomus,HOffM.~ 11.Juv. 31. Toradjalanden,Mamasa.In his large paper on the mammalsof Celebes (Abh. Mus. Dresden.VII NO.7. p. 24, 1899.)Dr. A. B. MEYER hasplacedbothchrysocomusandiratrorumas synonymsof R. callitrichus,JENT., but all theseare perfectlydistinct,differingconsiderablyin sizeandhavingquiteappreciablediagnosticskullcharacters.10. Rattushellwaldi,JENT.cf 13. Menado, N. Celebes. Leg. MOHAR!.cf 12. 14.Amoerang, N. Celebes.11. Rattusmusschenbroeki,JENT.cf 15.Menado. Leg. MOHAR!.,I•i12 tREUBIA VOL. II, 1.12. Uromystalaudium,THOS.A beautiful ochraceous species, barely less vivid than U. fu/gens.Size about as in fu/gens. General colour above rich ochraceous, below sharplycontrasted white, the hairs white to their bases. Body-fur extending on to baseoftailfor more than half an inch. Hands and feet white. Tail long, nearly as long as in fu/gens,uniformly pale brown.Skull about thesamesize as in fu/gens,but not so heavily built, less convex above,withnarrower interorbital space, narrower brain-case, and longer, less open palatal foramina.Palate slightly broader, the two molar seriesless strictly parallel, moredivergent behind.Dimensions of the type (measured on a skin):-Head and body 145 mm.; tail imperfect (in another similar-sized specimen 190);hind foot 31.Skull: greatest length 39.5; condylo-basal length 37.8; zygomatic breadth 21;nasals i3; interorbital breadth 6.2; palatilar length 18.4; palatal foramina 6.3; breadthacross outside m2 8.8; upper molar series 7.3.Hat;. Talaud Islands, between Gilolo and Mindanao. Type from Liroeng.Type. Adult female. B. M. no. 21. 2. 9. 3. Temporary number 24. Taken by theC.ontroleur 13th April, 1916.Presented by the Buitenzorg Museum.(Ann. and Mag. ot Nat. Hi'2,t. Ser. 9, Vo\. Vll, March 1921,p.248.)The discovery of two speciesof Uromysin theTalaud Islandsgreatlyextenastne'znown range of the genus, the nearestlocalitiesto thisasyetreportedbeing the Obi Islandsand Salawatti. No doubt the.group willprove also to occur in Gilolo.The presentspeciesis shown by its long tail to beanarborealanimal,and I have little doubt that, liKe U. fulg1!ns,which it nearly resembles.itpurchasessafetyfrom predaceousbirdsby its strikingresemblancein colourto the mantleof the large speciesof Pteropus.Local observationsare neededfor the confirmationor disproofof thistheory, which was advancedon the descriptionof U. fa/gens.13. Uromyscaarinus,sp. n.r:f 23.~. 40.98 (juv). Talaud Islands.A medium sized short tailed species of the U. bruijnii group. Size about as in thelarger ordinary species of Uromys,exclusive of the giant species; build robust.General colour above near cinnamon brown, paler on the sides. Undersurface white,thehairs white to the roots; on the belly the white only covers a breadth of about aninch, but is broader on the chest and inguinal region. Ears as usual short. Hands andfeet whitish above, inner side of limbs white. Tail shorter than head and body, palebrown throughout.Skull stoutly built, with well markeddivergentsupraorbital ridges. Nasals extendingwell behind the anterior corner of the orbits. Palatal foramina quite short, muchshorter than in the Ceram species. Molars stout and heavy. Posterior edge of palatelevel with the front of m3•Bullae small.Dimensions of the type, measured on the remade skin: - Head and body 1760101.;Tail 137 mm.; Hindfoot 30 mm.; ear 15mm.; Skull greatest length 39 mm.; condylo-incisive length 37.2; zygomatic breadth 30.2; interorbital breadth 6.7; breadth of braincase between parietal ridges 14.8; palatilar length 17.8; palatal foramina 5.4X 2.6;breadth of mesopterygoid fossa 3.2; upper molar series 8.Hab. as above.Type.Old female. B. M. NO.2!. 2. 9. 2. Temporary number 40.•THOMAS: RatsandShrews. 113This species is one of the normal short tailed species allied toU. bruijnii,lorenzi,etc., butdoesnotagreein shapeof skullwithany knownform.The occurrenceof the genus Uromysso neartoMindanaohasinducedme to compare it with the Philippine genus Apomys. I find it to beundoubtedlyvery nearly allied, but it may apparentlybe distinguishedfrom the latter by its more completelyhairlesstail, stouterfeet, its lesselongatedmuzzle and more projected zygomatic plate. Whether thesecharacterswill prove to be constant throughoutall the speciesof bothgeneraremainsto be seen. The structu~eof the molars is quitethesamein both,as is the shorteningof the palatalforamina.Of the Shrews I have found it impracticableat presentto make anydefinitedeterminations,exceptin the case of one single WaterShrewfromSumatra,which is not only a new species,but has enabledmeto describea new genus,Crossogale.Crossogale,gen. novoNearly allied to Chimarrogale.Shape of skull comparatively normal, the brain-case not excessively broadenepand flattened.Anterior incisors as broad terminally as proximally, the internal accessorynotch and cusp much more developed, so that the two ipcisor-tips are someway apart.In Chimarrogate these teeth are sharply pointed, the accessory cusp is reduced, andthe two tips are comparatively close together.Range of genus. E. Indian Archipelago, instead of Himalayas, China, andJapan.Genotype. Crossogale phceura(Chimarrogale phceura,Tilos.).14. Crossogalesumatrana,THOS.Coloured.like C. pf)ceuraof Borneo, but size greater.Fur, as usual in water-shrews, soft and velvety, hairs of back about 7 mm. inlength.Colour above uniform sooty grey, the hair-tips black; a few longer white-tippedpiles on the rump. Under surface dull brownish. Hands whitish, the swimming-fringesdark brown. Feet mostly whitish, but their outer border andtheswimming-fringe brown.Tail uniformly dark brown throughout.Skull shaped about as in C. phceura, but much larger and heavier.Anterior incisors larger and stronger than in phceura, the characteristic internalterminalcusp strongly developed, and the main outer points well separated.Hab. Sumatra.Type from Pager Alam, (Palembang Highlands).Type. Old specimen (probably male). B. M. no. 21. 2. 9. 1.Temporary number 169.Collected 28th November, 1918. Presented by the Buitenzorg Museum. One specimenonly.The charactersof this shrew, agreeing closely as they do with those of the Bor-neanform, and standing out in marked contrast to those of the four known Continentalspecies,appearto render it advisable to separate generically from eachother thewater-shrewsof the two regions.(Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. Ser. 9, Vol. VII. March 1921,p. 243.) ,.•. 114 IREUBIA VOL. It, 1.Mr. H.C. ROBINSON, of Kuala Lumpur, who has instigatedsuchextensive collecting in the Malay Peninsula,tells me that although everyeffort has been madeto trap water-shrews,nothing of the sort has beenfound in the area he is concernedwith. So that there would seemto bea complete geographical gap between the ranges of Chimarrogaleandwhat I have now called Crossogale.The broadened anterior incisors of Crossogaleare modified to form\O%~\\\~I0.Qoub\e-po\n\ec\1 sn-ca\c'ningweaponcuriouslysimilarinappearanceand function to that of the fish-eatingrats (lchthyomysand allies), wherethe widely separatedouter corners of the incisors make two prongs, ofobvious use in the captureof small fish.On the other hand the front incisors of Chimarrogaleareeachtaperedand pointed, and close together, so that the pair form a comparativelysimple gaff.,..I•

ON A COLLECTION OF RATS AND SHREWS FROM THE DUTCH EAST INDIAN ISLANDS

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ON A COLLECTION OF RATS AND SHREWS FROM THE DUTCH EAST INDIAN ISLANDS

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