Mr. O. Thomas on a new Vole from China. 117 



cannot concern itself with the question as to whether or not 

 it happens to contain any eggs. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE X. 



Fig. 1. Af/elena labyrinthica 5, somewhat enlarged. 



Fig. 2. The spinning of the small sheet against which the eggs, are 



deposited. 

 Fig. 3, The spider in the act of oviposition. 

 Fig. 4. The egg-mass depending from the small sheet. 

 Fig. 5. The same covered in with a layer of silk. 

 Fig. 6. The outer case of the cocoon, still transparent, and showing the 



silk-covered egg-mass depending from its roof. 

 Fig. 7. General view, showing the liammock-like compartment containing 



the cocoon. 



XIV. — Description of a neio Vole from China. 

 By Oldfield Thomas. 



The type of the following description was taken from the 

 stomach of a snake {Trimeresurus Jerdoni, Giinth.) obtained 

 by Mr. A. E. Pratt in West Sze-chuen at the same time that 

 he collected the fine new horseshoe bat [Hipposiderus Pratti) 

 described in the Jmie number of the ' Annals.' I propose to 

 call it 



Microtus chinensis, sp. n. 



About the size of M. ratticeps or M. rufocanus, but the 

 tail very considerably longer. 



Fur very long both above and below. 



General colour dark coppery brown, not rufous, so far as 

 can be made out from a specimen in spirit ; the bases of the 

 hairs dark slaty blue-grey. 



Ears rounded, their tips just projecting beyond the fur of 

 the head. PoUex with a distinct nail. Sole with six distinct 

 pads, the region behind the last pad hairy, the rest quite 

 naked. Tail unusually long, more than three times the length 

 of the hind foot, thinly haired, the scales plainly visible, dark 

 brown above, very slightly paler below. Mammas — 2 = 4, 

 a formula which, combined with the presence of six foot-pads, 

 appears to be unknown in the genus *. 



Skull similar to that of M. [Evotomys) rufocanus^ and 

 with the peculiar structure of the posterior palatal region 

 characteristic of Evotomys'\. 



* Lataste, Ann. Mus. Genov. (2) iv. pp. 271-274 (1887). 

 t See Coues, Mon. N. Am. Rod. p. 13:3 (1877). 



