EUROPEAN REDBACKED MICE 93 



size, bright colors, and very short densely haired tail. It is in no way 

 closely related to any of the other European members of the genus. 



EVOTOMYS NORVEGICUS sp. nov. 



1898. Microtus is^larcolus Collett, Nyt Mag. for Naturvidenskaberne, 

 XXXVI, p. 278. March, 1898. (J>ioi Mus glareohts oi Schreh&r .) 



Type. — Adult 9 (skin and skull) no. S4674 United States National 

 Museum, collected at Bergen, Norway, Alay 31, 1S9S, by Thora 

 Steineger. Original number 20. 



Faiinal position. — This species is probably characteristic of the 

 middle and lower boreal zones. 



GeograpJiic distribution. — The forested portions of Norway, north 

 to the Saltdal (67° N.).^ 



General characters. — Size large, skull of adults about 36 mm. in 

 greatest length, total length of adults 150-170, hind foot 20 or more; 

 ratio of tail vertebra; to total tength 33-36; skull narrow and notice- 

 ably ridged for muscular attachment, the zygomata heavy and abruptly 

 flaring; color rather dull. 



Color. — Slimmer pelage : Dorsal stripe fairly well defined, extend- 

 ing from forehead to rump. It is dark, dull ferruginous, slightly 

 varied with light wood-brown and much darkened by a uniform 

 sprinkling of black tipped hairs. Face, cheeks and sides light wood- 

 brown fading to broccoli-brown on lower part of sides, especially pos- 

 teriorly. Rump wood-brown tinged with red in median line and form- 

 ing no noticeable contrast with color of back. Whole ventral surface 

 pale drab-gray, irregularly tinged with yellowish along median line, 

 the plumbeous bases of the hairs appearing irregularly at surface. 

 Feet dull white. A dark shade at inner side of ankle. Sides of muz- 

 zle slightly yellower than face. Ears nearly naked externally, covered 

 with very short i-eddish hairs internally. Tail sharply bicolor, dark 

 brown above, whitish below. 



Skull. — The skull of Evotoniys norvegicus is large, and, for a true 

 Evotomys, rather strongly ridged and angled. In this respect it sur- 

 passes all other European members of the genus, S. ( Craseomys") 

 rufocanus excepted. The zygomata are heavily built, and so abruptly 

 flaring anteriorly that the greatest zygomatic breadth is near anterior ex- 

 tremity of molar ; back of this region the arches distinctly converge. 

 Rostral protuberances well developed, placed close to base of zygo- 

 mata. Postorbital processes distinct but very small. Braincase moder- 

 ately high and rounded, distinctly rectangular in outline when viewed 



1 Collett, Nyt Mag. for Naturvidenskaberne, XXXVI, p. 278. 



