ARVICOLA. Sa 
The next two species come under the section Paludicola. 
No. 392. ARVICOLA BLYTHII. 
HapitTat.—Western Thibet, Leh and Ladakh. 
DeEscriPTION.—General colour above yellowish-brown, below pale 
isabelline ; fur soft; basal two-thirds of the upper hairs, and one-half of 
the lower hairs, dark slaty ; the upper hairs are tipped, some isabelline 
and some, which are coarser and longer, dark brown; ears round, small, 
equal, with the fur thinly clad with pale brown hairs inside, and more 
thickly so with longer hairs outside ; upper whiskers dark brown, lower 
whitish; feet pale isabelline; soles naked; tail cylindrical, distinctly ringed, 
covered with short light brown hair like the under-parts in colour. 
Size.—Head and body, about 3 to 4 inches ; tail, t to 14 inch. 
Mr. Blanford has written fully regarding this species, which was the 
type of Blyth’s genus Phaiomys, in the ‘Scientific Results of the Second 
Yarkand Mission,’ page 39, in which he contends, after going through a 
mass of literature on the subject, that there are no grounds for con- 
stituting it the type of a new species ; and, if this be conceded, then the 
specific name given by Blyth, viz. dewcurus, being forestalled, it is 
necessary to rename it, which he has done in honour of that well-known 
naturalist. 
No. 393. ARVICOLA MANDARINUS. 
The Afghan Vole. 
HapitaT.—Afghanistan ; Chinese Mongolia. 
Description.— Light greyish rufescent brown above, white beneath ; 
ears short, hidden by the fur and hairy ; feet whitish; tail rutescent brown. 
S1zE.— About 4 inches; tail about 1 inch. 
This vole, which is described and figured by Milne-Edwards, is sup- 
posed to have been found in Afghanistan from a specimen in Griffith’s 
collection. 4. mandarinus comes from Chinese Mongolia, and it is 
figured in the ‘ Recherches sur les Mammiferes.’ 
The next species was made a separate genus, /Véodon, by Hodgson, 
which has been adopted by Jerdon; but there are no good grounds for 
continuing this separation. Mr. Blanford is certainly of this opinion, 
and in his remarks on it (sce his ‘Sc. Results Second Yarkand Mission,’ 
pp. 41-42) he writes: “The genus (Veodon, appears to be founded on 
characters of only specific importance, and the type 4. Sikimensis is, I 
think, a true Arvicola. 
No. 394. ARVICOLA SIKIMENSIS. 
The Sikim Vole ( Jerdon’s No. 203). 
NativE Names.—Phatchua, Nepalese, apparently Hindi; Cheekyu, 
Kiranti ; Singphuei, Thibetan. 
