Vol. XI. p. tn May 13, 1897 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW VOLE FROM KASHMIR. 

 BY GERRIT S. IMILLER, Jr. 



Mr. Oklfield 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 

 Mia-otm of the subgenus Hi/peracriv.s.^ It differs from Microtus 

 fertilis (True),t t^ie only otber known member of the subgenus, 

 in several important characters, and evidently represents a new 

 species, which may stand as : 



Microtus aitchisoni J sp. nov. 



Tjjpe from Gulmerg, Kashmir, altitude 9000 feet. Adult rj" (in alcohol), 

 British ^luseum collection (not i-egistered). Collected by Dr. J. E. T. 

 Aitchison. 



General characters. — General appearance much as in Microtus feri'dw 

 (True), but size considerabl}' larger and color apparently yellower. 



Color. — Color on l)ack bister slightly darkened with blackish and fad- 

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

 scurely bicolor, dark brown above, light yellowish l)rown below ; feet 

 dusky ; whiskers scant and short, tiie 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 oi Microtus aitchisoni are uniformly much larger than 

 in M. fertilis, but the enamel pattern is essentially as in tlie 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, NVII, p. 10, 1894. 



tAt 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. XT, 1897 (HI) 



