VOL. XI, p. 1 +1 MAY 13, 1897 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW VOLE FROM KASHMIR. 

 BY GERRIT S. MILLER, JR. 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas, of the British Museum, has recently sent 

 me for determination a vole collected by Dr. J. E. T. Aitchison, 

 F. R. S., at Gulmerg, Kashmir. The specimen proves to be a 

 Microtus of the subgenus Hypcracrius* It differs from Microtus 

 ferlilis (True),f the only other known member of the subgenus, 

 in several important characters, and evidently represents a new 

 species, which may stand as : 



Microtus aitchisoni J sp. nov. 



Type from Gulmerg, Kashmir, altitude 9000 feet. Adult $ (in alcohol), 

 British Museum collection (not registered). Collected by Dr. J. E. T. 

 Aitchison. 



General characters. General appearance much as in Microtus fertilis 

 (True), but size considerably larger and color apparently yellower. 



Color. Color on back bister slightly darkened with blackish and fad 

 ing rapidly on sides into light yellowish wood brown of belly ; tail ob 

 scurely bicolor, dark brown above, light yellowish brown below ; feet 

 dusky ; whiskers scant and short, the longest reaching about to ears, 

 mixed brown and silvery gray. 



Skull. The skull of the type is reduced to fragments, but these indicate 

 that it was considerably larger than that of M. fertilis. 



Teeth. The teeth of Microtus aitchisoni are uniformly much larger than 

 in M. fertilis, but the enamel pattern is essentially as in the latter. $ 



Measurements. Total length, 135; tail vertebrae, 33; hind foot, 19; 

 front foot, 13 ; ear from meatus, 12 ; ear from crown, 7.4 (from specimen 

 in alcohol) ; maxillary tooth row, 7 ; mandibular tooth row, 6.8. 



* See North American Fauna No. 12, p. 54. 



fProc. U. S. National Museum, XVII, p. 10, 1894. 



JAt Mr. Thomas' request, this vole is named after the collector of the 

 type specimen. 



I For figure of enamel pattern of Microtus fertilis, see North American 

 Fauna No. 12, p. 55. 



32 BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XI, 1897 (141) 



