282 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NA TURAL E1ST0R Y SOCIETY, Vol. XVIII. 



Micromys sylvatieus wardi, subsp. n. 



A pale-coloured Micromys rather smaller than M. sylvatieus^ 

 griseus. 



Fur fine, silky, moderately long (10—12 mm. on the back). 



General colour above pale " drab", with a suffusion of " clay 

 colour "; below white ; the line of demarcation in the flanks not 

 very distinctly defined. Individual hairs of the back slate colour 

 basally for f their length then " cream-buff" ; on the back pale ter- 

 minal portion reduced to a subterminal ring by a long black tip on a 

 large proportion of the hairs, towards the flanks these black-tipped 

 hairs much sparser or entirely absent ; individual hairs of belly slate 

 colour with white tips. Face coloured like back. Tail like back 

 above, below white. Hands and feet white. 



Skull short and broad ; shorter than in griseus, but almost equally 

 broad in all measurements. Palatal foramina much shorter. 



Dimensions of the type : — 



Head and body, 100 mm. ; tail, 104 ; hindfoot, 21 ; ear, 16. 



Skull: greatest length, 27; basilar length, 21*5; diastema, 7*5; 

 zygomatic breadth, 14*5; interorbital breadth, 4*5; brain case breadth, 

 13 ; palatal foramina, 5 ; upper molar series, 4 ; bullae, 4*5. 



Habitat : Ladakh. Alt. 9,000'— 11,500'. Type from Saspul. 



Type : Old male. B. M. No. 7.12.16.2. Original number 431. 

 Collected by Colonel Ward on 3rd June 1905. 



This differs from any other form of M. sylvatieus that I have seen, 

 by its drab colour contrasting strongly with the various mixtures of 

 ochraceous and brown in different proportions which characterise all 

 the other races. A specimen collected by Mr. Whitehead at Skardo 

 is identical with Col. Ward's series from Ladakh. 



I have much pleasure in naming this well marked race after 

 Col. Ward, to whose energy and liberality the National Collection 

 owes the series on which it is based. 



Micromys sylvatieus pentax, subsp. n. 



A short tailed race of M. sylvatieus. 

 Size rather smaller than M. sylvatieus griseus. 

 Fur soft, rather short (6 — 8 mm. on the back). 

 General colour very much as in the Kashmir form, but a distinct 

 tendency to show a darkened area on the back and rump, especially 



