312 MICROTIN^ 



Dentition heavy. Enamel of incisors pale yellow. Cheek- 

 teeth robust, the tooth-rows relatively long, and the individual 

 teeth with tall, massive crowns ; the alveolar capsule of m^ forms 

 a conspicuous mound, obstructing the mouth of the sphenorbital 

 fissure; ?/t^ (Fig- 91, 9-ii) with at least three salient angles on 

 each side, the third inner angle being always well developed, and 

 often with more or less evident traces of a fourth angle on the 

 inner, the outer, or both sides; /% (Fig. 91, 17) with four outer 

 and five inner salient angles. 



Remarks. — The relationships of A. roylei and reasons for 

 regarding it as one of the most primitive members of the genus 

 have been discussed above (p. 304). That we are now able to 

 give a tolerably complete account of the species is entirely due to 

 the enterprise of the Bombay Natural History Society and the zeal 

 of the late Mr. R. C. Wroughton. Before the work of the Mammal 

 Survey, the only specimen representing the species in the 

 national collection was the type, which fortunately possesses a 

 very good skull. 



Two subspecies of A. roylei are now known, namely, one 

 inhabiting Kumaon, characterized by its shorter tail and ears and 

 rusty-tinged belly; the other found in the Kulu Valley, Lahul, 

 with a longer tail, larger ears, and silvery under parts. After 

 a direct comparison with what is left of the skin of Gray's type I 

 do not feel able to dispute Wroughton's conclusion arrived at 

 before the discovery of the Lahul animal, that Kumaon should be 

 regarded as the type locality of A. roylei. The type, after a long 

 immersion in alcohol, naturally differs a good deal in colour from 

 the beautiful series of fresh skins collected in Kumaon by Mr. 

 Crump and from the corresponding series collected in Lahul by 

 Mr. Wells. But on the whole it agrees better with the Kumaon 

 series than with those from Lahul ; therefore the Kumaon 

 animals may be treated as representing A. roylei roylei, and the 

 form from Lahul as a subspecies, A. r. cautus. 



4. Alticola roylei roylei Gray. 



1842. Arvicola roylei Gray, Ann. Mag., N.H., 10, p. 265; Wagner, 

 Schreber's Saugth. Suppl., 3, p. 587, 1843; Giebel, Saugethiere, 

 p. 613, 1859; Jerdon, Mammals of India, p. 216, 1867 (in part); 

 Blanford, J.A.S., Bengal. 50, pt. 2, p. 102; 1881 (section Alticola). 



1891. Arvicola [Alticola) roylei Sclater, Catal. Mamm. Ind. Mus., pt. 2, 

 p. 91. 



1891. Microius roylei Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind., Mamm., p. 430. 



1896. Microtus [Alticola) roylii Miller, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 12, p. 54 

 (misprint). 



1899. Microtus [Alticola) roylei Miller, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila- 

 delphia, 1899, p. 292; Wroughton, J. Bombay, N.H.S.. 23, 1914. 

 p. 299; and " Summary," ibid., 27, 1920, p. 60 (in part). 



Type. — B.M., No. 2002; a defective skin (from alcohol) with 

 skull, collected before 1839, by Dr. J. F. Royle. 



