Rattus browni aitape Troughton, 1937a

Rec. Aust. Mus. 20(2): 122. (27 August 1937).

Common name. Pacific Rat.

Current name. Rattus exulans browni (Alston, 1877), following Taylor et al. (1982) and Musser & Carleton (2005).

Holotype. M.3721 by original designation. Adult female, skull, study skin, collected and presented by Mr R. F. Armstrong in 1925, registered November 1925.

Condition. Cranium missing anterior tip of left nasal bone, otherwise complete; both dentaries complete. Study skin: two bald patches on the rump.

Type locality. Aitape, West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

Comments. The description appears to be based on the holotype alone, though the number of specimens in the type series is not stated. Four juveniles with the same data as the holotype are registered under the one number, M.3722. Juvenile characters were not mentioned in the description and these are treated here as referred specimens rather than paratypes.