Page:The mammals of Australia Gould vol 3.djvu/57

 MUS VELLEROSUS, Gray.

Tawny Rat.

Mus vellerosus, Gray in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xv. p. 5.

the fifteenth part of the "Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London," above referred to, will be found the description of a species of Rat, sent from South Australia by His Excellency Governor Grey. This supposed species received from Dr. Gray the name of Mus vellerosus: I say supposed species, because I believe it to be a lusus, either of the Mus fuscipes, or some nearly allied species; still, although entertaining this opinion, I have considered it necessary to give an accurate figure of the animal in the present work, and I must leave it to future zoologists to ascertain if it be or he not a true species. It differs from the Mus fuscipes not only in its tawny colouring, but in the great length of its furry coat, all the hairs of which are of an equal length, or nearly so; it is also very different from the Mus longipilis, with which indeed I am convinced it has no relationship whatever. Only a single example has yet reached this country, and it is on this that Dr. Gray has founded the species, accompanied with the following remark:—

"This rat has the dentition and somewhat the general appearance of Mus fuscipes, Waterh., but the skull and animal are considerably larger, and the fur is very much longer and paler."

Fur long and rather soft to the touch; general colour reddish brown, varied with whitish interspersed hairs, becoming paler on the sides and still paler beneath, the base of the fur being bluish grey; feet and tail brown.

The animal is figured on the accompanying Plate of the natural size.