ALTICOLA 317 



Upper parts a moderately light grey, with a faint brownish 

 ■suffusion along the back. The individual hairs are slate-coloured 

 through the greater part of their length, then dull ivory yellow 

 for about 3 mm., their tips black. Under parts between pallid 

 mouse grey and white, the contrast with colour of sides noticeable, 

 but line of demarcation not sharply defined. Tail greyish-white 

 below, the upper surface brownish at the tip ; the dark area some- 

 times extends to the base, but is rarely so well defined as in average 

 specimens of A. montosa. 



Skull and teeth like those of A. montosa. 



For external and cranial measurements, see tables at end of 

 volume. 



lieinarls. — This species is only known to me from Miller's 

 description based upon forty-six specimens collected in Baltistan 

 by Dr. W. L. Abbott. Miller says that it is readily distinguishable 

 from .4. montosa by its shorter tail and lighter colour. " In montosa 

 the general appearance is that of an ordinary brownish vole, 

 while in glacialis it begins to approach that of the characteristic 

 members of the genus. The colour is practically identical with 

 that of A. worthingtoni of the Thian Shan Mountains, except that 

 the tail is never entirely white." Judging from the description A. 

 glacialis must be very like its geographical neighbour J. blanfordi, 

 a species, however, in which the skull apparently has marked 

 pecuharities, and in which the tail is still shorter. 



8. Alticola phasma Miller. 

 1912. Alticola phasma Miller, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 25, p. 59. 



Type.—BM., No. 12.4.1.120; adult male, skin and skull, 

 collected Oct. 13, 1911, and presented by D. Carruthers. 



Type locality. — Eastern side of the Kara Korum Mountains, 

 Chinese Turkestan, at an altitude of between 9000 and 10,000 

 feet, where it was " trapped among rocks on barren mountains." 



Range. — Known only from the type locality. 



Characters. — A pallid species, with a moderately long and 

 completely clothed white tail, greatly inflated auditory bulla?, 

 and very complex tn^. 



Fur soft and full, about 13 mm. long on back. Colour pallid. 

 Upper parts (in October) clad in a mixture of wood brown and olive 

 buff, inconspicuously lined with dark brown, becoming clearer 

 below to form a narrow streak of deep olive-buff which extends 

 along the lower edges of the flanks. Under parts and the cheeks 

 white; the snow-white ventral surface is sharply contrasted 

 against the flanks, though here and there considerably darkened 

 by the underlying slaty bases of the hairs. Feet and tail creamy 

 white. Tail equal to about 40% of the head and body measure- 

 ment, densely clothed with stiff white hairs, which completely 

 conceal the annulations and form a terminal pencil of about 13 mm. 

 in length. Digits clothed dorsally with long white hairs, which 



