408 MURIDAZE—EVOTOMYS 
rudimentary, with minute nail. Digit five reaches to the base of four ; 
three is slightly longer than four, and four than two. There are five 
large normally placed pads; the intervening skin is finely tuberculo- 
reticulate. In each foot the hallux reaches to the base of digit two; 
digit five slightly beyond the base of four; four, three, and two are 
subequal in order of length. There are six normally placed pads, 
smaller than those of the hand, especially the posterior; the inter- 
vening sole is naked and tuberculo-reticulate, densely haired behind. 
Colour :—The reddish mantle extends from the forehead in front of 
the eyes to the base of the tail, and is usually near “ vandyke brown,” 
strongly washed with “cinnamon rufous,’ and sprinkled with longer 
black hairs; the flanks, cheeks, and the face before the eyes are lighter. 
There is no distinct line of demarcation. The under side is whitish, 
frequently washed to a variable extent with yellowish or buff; the feet 
are greyish, the tail inconspicuously bicoloured. The colours are lighter 
red when faded, as in late winter. 
The carpal vibrissee appear with the first pelage in the nest. The 
whiskers reach a length of from 22 to 28 mm. 
Moult; a coarser coat is assumed in October, after which in cold 
localities the flanks may be greyer, as in Sczwrus. A moult has also 
been observed in early May (8th) [and by Collett in July or August 
in the Norwegian Evotomys]. 
The young have the upper side less brightly coloured. In the 
woolly juvenal coat the under side is at first dusky; later, as longer 
hairs with light tips increase in number, the characteristic tints of 
the adult are gradually assumed, at first on the upper side, but a 
buff or yellowish belly, when present, is characteristic of the adult 
pelage, hence it is most conspicuous in winter. 
There is some local variation. Specimens from Scotland (W. 
Evans) and Anglesey (Oldham, Zoologzst, 1895, 302) are said to show 
very dull tints as compared, for instance, with those from near Swansea. 
At Reigate, Surrey, adults have a greyish-white belly; this is purer 
white in Hertfordshire, most brilliant in winter (Adams). The subject 
requires investigation by local naturalists. Occasionally a specimen 
has the mantle so pale and the sides, cheeks, and face so grey as to 
recall the coloration of continental sub-species. The most pronounced 
of these are from Scotland, where also Millais believes that the average 
size is larger. 
For the skull and teeth, see description of genus Evotomys. mi 
is usually simple, having on each side three well-defined salient angles 
and two infolds. 
Exceptional variation :—Forrest has sent me a note of a melanic 
individual taken at Ellesmere, Shropshire; the whole animal was 
uniform dull brownish - black. Several entirely or partially albinic 
mts 
