=Proechimys myosuros= (Lichtenstein)
_Loncheres myosuros_ Lichtenstein, 1818, Das zoologische Museum der
Universität zu Berlin, (2):18 (_nomen nudum_); Lichtenstein, 1820,
Abhandl. K. Akad. Wissensch., Berlin (1818-1819):192, pl. 1, fig. 2
(orig. descr.); Wied, 1826, Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte von
Brasilien, 2:445.
_Mus leptosoma_ Brants, 1827, Het geslacht der Muizen door
Linnaeus opgesteld ..., Berlyn, p. 150; Lichtenstein, 1830,
Darstellung neuer oder wenig bekannter Säugethiere, Berlin, Heft
7, pl. 36, fig. and text pages.
_Mus cinnamoneus_ Lichtenstein, 1830, Darstellung neuer oder wenig
bekannter Säugethiere, Berlin, Heft 7, pl. 36.
_Echimys myosuros_ Is. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1838, Comptes
Rendus Acad. Sci., 6(26):886, and 1840, Mag. Zool., Paris (ser. 2,
année 2):15, 33, 53; Allen, 1899, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.,
12(20):261.
_Echinomys leptosoma_ Wagner, 1843, Schreber's Säugethiere,
suppl., 3:341.
_Echinomys myosuros_ Burmeister, 1854, Syst. ubersicht Thiere
Brasiliens, p. 199.
_Proechimys setosus_ Thomas, 1921, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 8 (ser.
9):141.
_Proechimys myosuros_ Tate, 1935, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.,
68(5):400; Ellerman, 1940, The families and genera of living
rodents, Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 1:119.
_Proechimys leptosoma_ Tate, 1935, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.,
68(5): 400; Ellerman, 1940, The families and genera of living
rodents, Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 1:119.
_General characters._--Aristiforms wide (1''') and numerous
on dorsal parts of body; tail longer (9'') than head and body
(8''); hind feet short (1''6''').
_Color_ (According to Lichtenstein and Brants'
descriptions).--Black between ears; dark brown on middorsal line
with reddish tinge on front and upper side of neck; posteriorly
from shoulders there is a greasy shine added to color; this dark,
dorsal band widens posteriorly, there encroaching on sides of
body; sides lighter brown, sparsely marked with dark brown lines,
from sides of head caudad to, and including, outer surfaces of
hind legs; outer sides of forelegs colored like outer sides of
hind legs; ankles ringed with brown. Tail blackish above, whitish
below. Upper surfaces of hands and feet white.
_Skull._--No description of skull or teeth found.
_Remarks._--Thomas (1921:140-143) summarized the available information
on the forms from southeastern Brazil and synonymised _myosuros_ with
_setosus_. The description of _leptosoma_ by Brants applies to this same
species except in a few features. However, neither Brants nor
Lichtenstein described the tail of _myosuros_ as having a white tip or
even as having a heavily pencilled tip, although Wagner (1843:342) in
redescribing Lichtenstein's species indicated that the tail had a white
pencil. He gave also measurements of the head and body, and tail, which
do not agree with the original measurements given by either Lichtenstein
or Brants. Lichtenstein, in the original description, gave the type
locality of _myosuros_ as Bahia, and stated that it was collected by
Freireiss. Brants also gave Bahia as the type locality for _leptosoma_.
The names _leptosoma_ Brants and _cinnamoneus_ Lichtenstein are
evidently no more than duplicate names for _myosuros_, as pointed out by
Thomas (1921:141) and subsequent writers. Specimens referred to any of
these forms, therefore, could take the earlier name _myosuros_ until
identified otherwise. Lichtenstein later (1830, text for plate 36, fig.
2) added São Paulo State to the known range of the species, mentioning
specimens collected there by Sello. Probably, therefore, Wagner
redescribed _leptosoma_ using a composite sample; the white tip on the
tail could occur in any race of _P. iheringi_ from São Paulo.
Considering the short hind feet and the wide aristiforms, _Proechimys
myosuros_ probably will eventually prove to be related to _albispinus_;
perhaps it will prove to be a synonym of _albispinus_.