ALTICOLA 325 



Fur full aud soft, about 15 mm. long on middle of back. 

 Basal two-tliirds of hair slaty plumbeous, slightly paler than in 

 A. albicaiida and A. " cricetulus " (= stracheyi). On the dorsal 

 surface the plumbeous basal area is followed by a broad band of 

 pinkish-buff which gives the general tone to the pelage. Through- 

 out the dorsal area the fur is sprinkled with longer dark brown 

 hairs, but these are nowhere conspicuous. The buff is brightest 

 on the head and lumbar region, paler and greyer across the 

 shoulders, along the sides, and on the rump. Belly snowy white, 

 much clouded by the plumbeous under fur. Feet and tail dirty 

 white. Ears about as long as in^. "cricetulus," but less con- 

 spicuous owing to the longer fur. Palms with five, soles with six 

 tubercles; all the tubercles very large. Soles densely haired 

 behind pads Mammae, 2—2 = 8. 



Skull in general form like those of A. alhicauda and A. 

 " cricetulus" but slightly longer than either and much more 

 massively built. Zygomatic arches shorter and rostrum broader 

 and deeper than in either of the cited species. Nasal branches 

 of premaxillaries narrow, scarcely reaching posterior edge of nasals. 

 Mandible larger than in A. " cricetulus," but with much more 

 slender angular jirocess. 



Incisors pale yellow as in A. " cricetulus." 



Cheek-teeth heavier that in ^. " cricetulus," but enamel pattern 

 exactly similar (jn^ imperfectly known). The salient angles are, 

 however, less acute, and the terminal loop of )n^ forms less than 

 half of the length of the crown instead of slightly more than half 

 as in A. alhicauda and A. " cricetulus." 



For external and cranial measurements, see tables at end of 

 volume. 



Material examined. — None. The type is the only specimen 

 so far known. 



Remarks. — Apparently most closely related to A. stracheyi. 



Subgenus : Platycranius Kascenko. 

 1901. Platycranius Kascenko Ann. Mus. Zool. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. 



Petersbourg, 6, p. 199 (subgenus of Microius). 

 1908. AUicola Miller, Ann. Mag. N.H., [8], 1, p. 97. 



Genotype. — Microtus strelzowi Kascenko. 



Range. — Altai Mountains, Central Asia. 



Characters. — Skull remarkably broad and flat; postero- 

 lateral palatal bridges slender but usually complete. Other 

 essential characters as in normal AUicola. 



The subgenus Platycranius seems to be an offshoot from the 

 genus AUicola., which has become specialized for life in the crevices 

 of bare rocks; and in this habit and the correlated cranial 

 characters it affords a parallel to Gliriscus, a similar offshoot from 

 Graphiurus, the great African genus of Dormice.^ 



^ Thomas and Hinton, P.Z.S., 1925, p. 232, 



