198 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 



Specimens examined. — Forty-six, from the following localities in Bal- 

 tistan: Basha Valley (12,000 feet), 11; Chogo Lungma Glacier (11,000 

 feet), 23; Tormik Valley (12,000 feet), 12. 



Remarks. — As compared with Alticola montosus, represented by a series 

 of 144 skins collected by Dr. Abbott in central and southern Kashmir, 

 the Baltistan Alticola is readily distinguishable by its shorter tail and 

 lighter color. In A. montosus the general appearance is that of an 

 ordinary brownish vole, while in A. glacialis it begins to approach that 

 of the characteristic members of the genus. The color is practically 

 identical with that of A. worthingtoni of the Tian Shan Mountains, 

 except that the tail is never entirely white. 



Epimys rattus shigarus subsp. nov. 



Type. — Adult male (skin and skull ) Xo. 176,132 V . S. National Museum. 

 Collected in the Shigar Valley (altitude 9,000 feet), Baltistan, October 4, 

 I!M 2. Original Xo. S010. 



Diagnosis. — Like the niemher of the Epimys rattus group common in 

 central Kashmir and currently regarded as identical with Hodgson's 

 Mus nitidus, hut color of upperparts paler and more grayish, and dark 

 dorsal area of tail conspicuously sprinkled with white hairs. 



Color. — Upperparts bufi'y gray, rather noticeably "'lined' by the 

 longer blackish hairs, the general effect more pallid than in Epimys rattus 

 nitidus from Kashmir or E. rattus alexandrinus from Italy (which are 

 essentially alike in color except that the tail is bicolor in nitidus, unicolor 

 in alexandrinus); sides slightly paler than back. The elements of the 

 color are: (a) neutral-gray underfur, (h) ivory-yellow tips to the shorter 

 hairs, (c) blackish longer hairs, (d) whitish hair-like bristles, dark at tip. 

 On flanks the yellowish element is less pallid, approaching more nearly 

 to cream-buff or chamois. Underparts and dorsum of manus and pes 

 ivory-yellow, the line of demarcation along sides of body not very well 

 defined. Tail sparsely haired so that the scales are plainly visible every- 

 where except at tip, all the hairs white except on dorsal surface, where 

 enough black hairs are intermingled to produce a rather noticeable dark 

 area. 



Skull and teeth. — The skull and teeth resemble those of Epimys rattus 

 nitidus from Kashmir. As compared with that of Italian E. rattus 

 alexandrinus the rostrum is more developed and the auditory bullae are 

 less globularly inflated. 



Measurements. — Type: head and body, 198; tail, 211; hind foot, 37 

 (35); condylobasal length of skull (teeth moderately worn), 42.6; zygo- 

 matic breadth, 22.0; interorbital constriction, 6.2; breadth of braincase, 

 16.4; depth of braincase, 11.2; nasal, 17.2; diastema, 12.2; mandible, 

 26.0; maxillary toothrow (alveoli), 7.0; mandibular toothrow (alveoli), 

 6.8. 



Specimens examined. — Seven, all from the type locality. 



Remarks. — This rat presents an example of the tendency shown by 

 several Baltistan mammals, such as Apodemus wardi and AUicola glacialis, 

 to be paler in color than their representatives from central and southern 

 Kashmir. 



