TWO NEW GENERA OF MURINE RODENTS 



By GERRIT S. miller, Jr. 

 Curator, Division of Mammals, U. S. National Museum 



The murine rodents known as Leiiiums schisticolor and Cricetulus 

 bcdfordicu differ so markedly from the types of their respective 

 groups as to require generic separation. In each instance the prin- 

 cipal distinguishing characteristics are to be found in the feet. 



MYOPUS, gen. nov. (Microtinae) 



Type: My odes schisticolor Lilljeborg. 



Characters: Skull and teeth as in Lenimus; general form vole- 

 like, with distinct though short neck, the head not appearing to rest 



b 

 Fig. 86. — Skeleton of forefoot of Lemtnus (a) and Myopiis (b). X2. 



between the shoulders ; ear well developed though small, with distinct 

 meatal valve; feet slender, normal, the palm and sole with fully 

 developed functional tubercles and no unusual growth of hair ; meta- 

 carpals of third and fourth fingers slightly longer than phalanges; 

 ungual phalanges of manus normal, much shorter than first and 

 second combined, the claws not enlarged (see fig. 86), 



Remarks: The genus My opus is characterized by the combination 

 of the skull and teeth of Lemmits with the general body form and 

 non-specialized foot structure of the true voles. It therefore repre- 

 sents in the Old World a stage of development equivalent to that of 

 the American Synaptomys. Only the type species is known. 



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