S89 



SPALAX DOLBROGEiE Miller. 



1901. Spalax huiigarican ]\[atscliie, Sitz.-Ber. Gesellsch. Naturforsch. 



Freunde, Berlin, p. 237, November, 1901 (Eoumania). 

 1903. Spalax dolbrogav Miller, Proc. Biol. Soc, Washington, xvi, p. 161, 



November 30, 1903 (Dobrudscha). Type in U.S. National 



Museum. 

 1910. Spalax dolbrogen- Troucssart, Faune ]Mamm. d'Europe, p. 204. 



Type locality. — Malcoci, Dobrudscha, Rouuiania. 



Oeographical distribution. — Roumania and Bulgaria ; limits of 

 range not known. 



Diagnosis. — Size medium (hind foot about 25 mm., condylo- 

 basal length of skull about 50 mm.) ; skull moderately deep, the 

 distance from alveolus of )»•' to sagittal crest about equal to that 

 from occipital condyle to first molar ; anteorbital foramen large, 

 much higher than wide ; anterior base of zygoma lightly built ; 

 auditory bulli¥i rather long and narrow ; breadth of m^ at alveolus 

 less than width of palate in same region. 



External characters. — General form cylindrical, with long 

 body, short legs and no apparent neck, the broad flattened head 

 set so closely on shoulders that orifice of ear is almost at anterior 

 edge of scapula. Head broadly rounded when viewed from 

 above, wedge-shaped in profile owing to the abrupt reduction in 

 depth from behind forward, the anterior border of muzzle pad 

 forming the front edge of wedge, the chin strongly receding ; 

 external ear absent, the small auditory opening margined by a 

 low ridge , no trace of external eye ; nostril pad large, lying in 

 two distinct planes, one on upper surface of muzzle, the other 

 on abruptly backward-sloping upper lip ; upper portion of pad 

 broadly triangular in outline, its longest border in front, its 

 surface smooth except for some indistinct wrinkles crossing it 

 longitudinally, and a deep groove at each side parallel with 

 margin ; lower portion similar to upper in general outline, the 

 simple, round nostrils situated a little below middle ; a narrow 

 groove curving outward and upward from each nostril to anterior 

 margin of pad ; lij) thinly haired between pad and mouth. The 

 shovel-like character of upper surface of head is increased by 

 the presence of a brush of stiffened hairs directed outward and 

 upward, and extending from outer angle of muzzle pad about 

 half-way to ear. Legs short, the feet large and distinctly 

 fossorial. Fore foot with third digit longest, second and fourth 

 successively a little shorter, fifth extending to end of first 

 phalanx of fourth, first very short, not extending to middle of 

 first phalanx of second ; claws simple, very small, their length 

 not equal to that of terminal phalanx ; palm naked, the region 

 at base of phalanges wrinkled but without tubercles, the posterior 

 portion occupied by a large pad divided into two unequal parts 

 by a longitudinal fui'row on side next thumb, the anterior 

 margin raised and thickened, sometimes appearing as a ridge 



