498 



SMITHSONIAN MISCK LI.ANF.OUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 52 



PHODOPUS, gen. nov. (Cricetinae) 



Type: Cricetulus bedfordicc Thomas. 



Characters: Externally like Cricetulus, but feet unusually short 

 and broad, densely hairy throughout, the tubercles of both palm and 

 sole confluent into a single blister-like mass (fig. 87) ; skeleton of 

 feet shortened, but proportionate lengths of bones not specially modi- 

 fied ; skull essentially as in Cricetulus, but brain-case less murine in 

 form, unusually broad and deep in front, narrow and low behind ; 

 outer wall of infraorbital canal very short, invisible when skull is 





Fig. 87. — Sole of hind foot of Cricetulus (a) and Phodopus (b). X 3. 



viewed from above, its form much as in Mesocricetus; pattern of 

 enamel folding more simple than in any of the other Old World 

 Cricefina:, the salient angles opposite, the reentrant angles of outer 

 side of maxillary teeth not curving backward, those of inner side of 

 mandibular teeth not curving forward. 



Remarks: In its highly modified foot and simple teeth Phodopus 

 shows a peculiar combination of primitiveness and specialization. 

 While the type species is the only one that I have examined, it is not 

 improbable that Cricetulus rohorowskii Satunin should be referred 

 to the same group. 



