828 



APODEMUS FLAVICOLLIS Melchior. 



(Synonymy under subspecies.) 



Geoyraphical distribution. — Central Europe from Sweden and 

 Finland to the Pyrenees, Alps and Greece, and from Great 

 Britain to Roumania and western Russia ; eastern limits of 

 range not known. 



Diagnosis. — Decidedly larger than Apodenuis sylvaticas syl- 

 vaticus, the only member of the group together with which it 

 occurs; head and body about 100 to 115; tail vertebra^ about 

 105 to 125; hind foot, 23 to 27, most frequently 25; cond}'- 

 lobasal length of skull, 25 to 28 '8 mm. ; skull in old individuals 

 becoming decidedly more angular than that of A. sylvaticus ; ear 

 large, its height above meatus about 17 to 19 mm. ; general 

 colour of upper parts brighter and more russet than in any of 

 the European races of A. sylvaticus ; underparts always whitish, 

 the line of demarcation along sides sharply defined ; chest spot 

 usually larger than in A. syhaiicus, frequently spreading laterally 

 to form a complete collar. 



External characters. — As in Ajwdemus sylvaticus, except for 

 such slight peculiarities as result from the larger size. 



Colour. — Except for the general tendency toward brighter, 

 more russet tints on the upper parts, and the constant absence 

 of all trace of brownish wash below, the colour so exactly 

 resembles that of Apodemtis sylvaticus sylvaticus as to need no 

 detailed description. 



Skull and teeth. — In individuals old enough to show con- 

 spicuous wear of the teeth the skull 

 attains a degree of massiveness 

 and angularity never seen in 

 A. sylvaticus. This is especially 

 noticeable in the lachrymal and 

 interorbital regions and on the 

 upper surface of the brain-case. The 

 angularity of the interorbital rims 

 in such specimens is continued for- 

 ward nearly to lachrymal region 

 and is so strongly developed as to 

 produce a slight but evident longi- 

 tudinal furrow along middle of 

 frontal ; posteriorly the rims are 

 continued backward as low but 

 evident ridges extending along sides 

 of brain-case to outer extremities 

 of interparietal. In other respects 

 the skull shows no tangible pecu- 

 liarities of form as compared with 

 that of the smaller animal. Large specimens of Ajpodemus flavi- 

 collis are e([ual in length to skulls of immature A. epimelas; but 



Fig. 167. 

 Apodemits flavicoUis. Nat. size. 



