52 Dr. N. Seyertzoff on the Mammals of Turkestan. 



mottled appearance is not so easily noticed ; but tlie width 

 and number of these rings on the hair of S. brevicauda is 



^ Therefore^it would be useful to make more exact comparisons 

 between 8. mugosaricus, S. brevicauda, and S musicus, the 

 ranges of which meet on the Lower Volga and Don; and 

 perhaps they may prove to form only one species. Here it 

 also must be stated that the first description of £. ^^^^^^^^^^ 

 was taken by Lichtenstein from a specimen from the Kiigies 

 steppes : whilst the first description of ^. musicus was made by 

 M^ndtri^s from a mountain specimen from the Caucasus, i ne 

 Karabur specimens were obtained at an altitude of ^om /OOO 

 to 9500 feet, on the grass-covered plains of the summits ot the 

 Karabur Mountains. 



40. Arvicola arvalis. 

 Inhabits the north-eastern portion of Turkestan and does 

 not appear to go beyond an altitude of about 6000 teet. 



41. Arvicola leucura, sp. n.* 

 Is found in the north-western parts of Turkestan. It goes 

 exactly as high as the preceding species, but has not been 

 observed below 1000 feet altitude. 



The fur is soft like that of Crtcetus, light brownish grey, on 

 the belly white; the base of the hair on the whole body is 

 plumbeous. The ears project beyond the fur.^ The tail is one 

 fourth as long as the body, and is snowy white with a black 

 tip of rather longer hair. The first lower molar tooth has 

 nine prisms, like that of Arvicola. i -^ . -i 



The most striking specific characters are m the white tail 

 and soft hair ; and the species may thus be diagnosed :— 

 Arvicola ceindei nivea subpeniciUata, apice obscuriore vellere molli 

 cinerascente, infra albo, auriculis e veUere prominentis. 

 I obtained only one specimen, on the Upper Massat in the 

 lower mountains of the Thian, between Aulje-ata and Chim- 

 kent, in December 1866. 



42. Arvicola gregalis. 

 Has been observed in the same localities as the preceding 

 species. I myself met with it in the Karatau at the upper 



• [Should this prove to be a good species it will require a «ew name 

 A leucurus havin/been used by Gerbe (Rev. Zool. 1852, p. 2W) tor a 

 ^roreantole which Blasius a/d Fatio consider to be identical with 

 A. nivalis of Martins.— E. R. A.] 



