Desmomys Thomas, 1910 . Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 5:284.

TYPE SPECIES: Pelomys harringtoni Thomas, 1902 .

COMMENTS: Listed as a genus by Allen (1939), but usually treated as a subgenus of Pelomys (Corbet and Hill, 1991; Ellerman, 1941; Rupp, 1980; Yalden et al., 1976). Most of the diagnostic traits described by Thomas (1910b) are outside the range of morphological variation seen among species of Pelomys . Our study of specimens revealed that general external traits and cranial conformation of D. harringtoni, the only species in the genus, resemble species of Mylomys and Pelomys, but that Desmomys has its own derived dental patterns (ridge-like cusp t9 connecting central cusp t8 with labial cusp t6 on first and second molars, ridge-like cusp t7 on second upper molar). The phylogenetic relationships among species of Desmomys, Pelomys, and Mylomys has to be assessed by revisionary study. See the account of Mylomys for the status of rex, which is usually placed in Desmomys (Yalden et al., 1976) .