24. Mus xanthopygus.
Plate XXII.
Mus xanthopygus, Waterh., Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for February 1837, p. 28.
M. suprà pallidè brunneus flavo-lavatus, ad latera flavescens, subtùs albus; capite griscescente; natibus flavis; pedibus albis; auribus majusculis pilis, albis et flavis intermixtis obsitis; caudâ quoad longitudinem, corpus ferè æquante, suprà nigricante, subtùs albâ; vellere longo et molli; mystacibus perlongis albescentibus, ad basin nigris.
Description.—Ears rather large, tail rather longer than the body, tarsi moderately long and somewhat slender: fur long and very soft: prevailing tint pale yellow; on the back there is a brownish hue owing to the long hairs, which are thickly interspersed with ordinary fur, being of that colour: in the region of the tail the hairs are of a rich yellow colour; the tip of the muzzle is white, the feet, chin, throat and the whole under parts of the body are white; on the chest and belly a faint yellowish hue is observable: the tail is well clothed with tolerably long hairs, those on the apical portion are the longer, on the upper side of the tail they are of a brown colour, and on the under side they are pure white: the ears are well clothed with tolerably long hairs, those on the inner side are of a pale yellowish colour, externally on the fore part they are brown, and on the hinder part they are yellowish white: the hairs of the moustaches are numerous and very long; some of them are white, but the greater portion are brownish black at the base and whitish at the apex: the upper incisors are yellow, and the lower are yellow-white: the hairs of the ordinary fur on the back are gray at the base, brownish at the tip, and very pale yellow near the tip: the hairs on the belly are gray at the base and white externally.
| In. | Lines. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | from nose to root of tail | 5 | 3 |
| of tail | 3 | 10 | |
| from nose to ear | 1 | 3 | |
| of tarsus (claws included) | 1 | 1 | |
| of ear | 0 | 7 |
There are three specimens of the present species in Mr. Darwin’s collection; two of them were caught when shedding their fur, and having lost the longer black hairs, have the upper parts of the body of a paler colour; their general tint is very pale, and may be described as gray, with a wash of pale yellow.
This species is closely allied to the last, but differs in being rather smaller, in having smaller ears which are well clothed with hair, and not sparingly furnished as in Mus griseo-flavus, and in having a shorter tail which, like the ears, is more densely clothed with hairs; in the structure of the molar teeth there also differences which will be better understood by comparing the drawings. Fig. 16, a, Plate 34, represents the molars of the upper jaw, and 16, b, those of the lower jaw.
“Extremely abundant in the coarse grass and thickets in the ravines at Port Desire and Santa Cruz: was caught in a trap baited with cheese.”—D.
25. Mus Darwinii.
Plate XXIII.
Mus Darwinii, Waterh., Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for February 1837, p. 28.