ARVICOLA 407 



Range. — Northern Caucasus. 



Characters. — Size as in A. t. terrestris, hind-foot 32 mm., 

 basilar length 34 '2 mm. Ears very small, completely hidden 

 by the fur. Colour of upper parts rusty brown considerably 

 mixed with black, the rusty colour more intense upon the 

 sides of the head, especially under the eyes. Under parts ashy 

 grey, with a thin light rusty suffusion. Feet brownish grey. 

 Tail dark brown above, paler below owing to the mixture of 

 white hairs. 



Skull and teeth essentially as in A. t. terrestris; zygomatic 

 breadth slightly less. Enamel of incisors more intensely coloured, 

 reddish orange in upper teeth, pale orange in lower. 



For external and cranial measurements, see tables at end of 

 volume. 



If. Arvicola terrestris meridionalis Ognev. 



1922. Arvicola amphihius meridionalis Ognev, Bhojiophh. HSBecTHJi, 

 1, J). 101) (not seen) ; Rodentia of the North Caucasus, p. 40, 1924 ; 

 B)on. Mock. 06m. Hcnur. FIpHp., 1925, pp. 16 and 41. 



Tyjpe. — Probably in Moscow. 



Tyj>e locality. — Original description not seen. 



Range. — South-eastern Russia ; from the district of Ardatov, 

 Simbirsk (now Government of Samara), the Ural Province, and 

 the Government of Astrakhan southwards to the northern 

 Caucasus. 



Characters. — Judging from a single specimen, received recently 

 from Prof. Ognev, this subspecies is scarcely to be distinguished 

 from A. t. scythicus Thomas; but whether it be distinct or not, 

 I have no doubt that it should be regarded as representing one 

 of the geographical races of A. terrestris. Ognev, however, 

 takes another view, and in the third paper cited above he says 

 (at p. 44) : " Le campagnol de cette region pent etre consideree 

 comme formant une sous-espece bien differenciee, A. a. meri- 

 dionalis. II faut remarquer que c'est bien a 1'^. amphihius 

 telle que I'entend G. S. Miller (1912) que cette sous-espece doit 

 etro rapportee, vu qu'elle possede un grand crane, massif, dont 

 la partie anterieure et surtout les incisives, ne proeminent pas 

 en avant que cela a lieu chez le A. terrestris. Cette sous-espece 

 se distingue du A. amphihius type, (a) par le crane plus raccourci; 

 (b) par des pommettes plus ecartees, malgre un crane visiblement 

 plus court ; (c) enfin parceque, en comparant ses os nasaux avec 

 les dimensions generales du crane, on constate que proportionelle- 

 ment leur longueur depasse celle qui est typique pour VA. 

 amphihius d'Angleterre. La coloration est relativemeut claire; 

 la teinte generale varie d'un jaune paille brunatre tirant sur la 

 rouille, jusqu'a un brun marron." 



