300 MICROTINiE 



wash on the chest. Feet and tail dusky above; the tail paler 

 (greyish) below. 



In his description of this form Allen describes the nasals as 

 falling considerably short of the premaxillaries behind, believing 

 the converse condition to obtain in A. c. custos. But the type 

 of A. c. custos and our other skulls of the typical form agree 

 perfectly with Allen's description of ^. c. rubelius in this respect. 



For external and cranial dimensions, see tables at end of 

 volume. 



Genus: 9. ALTICOLA Blanford. 



1881. AUicola Blanford, J.A.S. Bengal, 50, pt. 2, p. 96 (proposed as a 



section of the genus Arvicola). 

 1891. AUicola Sclater, Catal. Mamm. Ind. Mus., pt. 2, p. 89 (in part; 



subgenus of Arvicola). 

 1891, Microtus Blanford, Fauna Brit. India, Mamm., p. 429 (in part). 

 1896. AUicola Miller, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 12, p. 52; Proe. Acad. 



Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1899, p. 291 ; Wroughton, " Summary," 



J. Bombay N.H.S., 27, p. 59, 1920 (subgenus of Microtus). 

 1912. AUicola Thomas, Ann. Mag. N.H., [8], 9, p. 400; Miller, Proc. 



Biol. Soc. Washington, 25, 1912, p. 59 (genus). 



Genotype. — Arvicola stoliczkanus Blanford. 



Range. — The genus has a wide distribution in the mountains 

 of Central Asia, where its members are found living at high 

 altitudes (6000-18,500 feet). The known range extends from 

 Kumaon and Lahul northwards to beyond the Thian Shan 

 Mountains (Bogdo-Ola Mountains) and from the Hissar Mountains, 

 east of Samarkand, eastwards to Mount Everest. In this 

 area the genus is known to be represented by fifteen forms ; but 

 others probably remain to be discovered. On the other hand, 

 owing to the lack of satisfactory material, it is not possible to 

 determine the precise status of some of the forms that have been 

 described. 



Characters. — Size small or medium (hind-foot ranging between 

 16 and 20 mm. ; condylo-basal length of skull rarely exceeding 

 29 mm.). 



Fur full and soft, its length variable. Eyes moderately large. 

 Ears simple and rounded, of moderate size, though often failing 

 to overtop the long fur, furnished with an antitragus. Tail 

 from less than one-fifth to more than one-half of the combined 

 length of the head and body, clothed more or less densely with 

 long stiff hairs which partly or wholly conceal the scaly annulations 

 and form a terminal pencil of variable length. Hands and feet 

 normal; claws rather short but sharp, those of the foot slightly 

 longer than those of the hand ; thumb vestigial, with or without 

 a minute flattened nail. Palmar tubercles 5; plantar tubercles 

 6 ; palms and soles more or less densely haired behind the pads ; 



