Mammals from Northern Persia. 201 



cliar:)cters were alone used by de Filij)pi to distinguish his 

 variety. 



The skull so extracted proves fortunately to be perfect, 

 and is therefore a great improvement on the broken skull on 

 which he based his statement that the osteological characters 

 of the Persian vole were absolutely the same as those of 

 Arvicola amphihius. But the statement itself needs practi- 

 cally no modification, for this typical skull has no special 

 peculiarities, and in particular has the normal angular molars 

 found in European water-voles in general. It therefore 

 precisely agrees with Mr. Woosnani's specimen no. 110 from 

 the low- lying shores of the Caspian Sea, a region through 

 which de Filippi also passed; and I am disposed to believe, 

 therefore, that thougli that author first saw animals of this 

 group at tSultanieh, which is on the plateau south of tlie 

 Elburz, the actual specimen he brought home and describt-d 

 was from the lower and more northern region. Moreover, in 

 speaking of them at Sultanieh, he says they were abundant 

 then and onwards to the end of his time in Persia, a state- 

 ment that covers the Caspian as well as the Elburz region. 

 Actual Sultanieh specimens may hereafter upset this con- 

 clusion ; but in any case I feel compelled to distinguish the 

 round-toothed forms as a different subspecies, to which all 

 the specimens as yet certainly known to come from the 

 plateau belong. 



13. Microtus terrestris armenius, subsp. n. 



cJ. 123. Elburz Mts., near Demavend. Alt. 9000'. 



[cJ. 16, 17. Van, Armenia. Alt. oOOO'. Presented by 

 Major W. H. Williams, R.A.] 



" Shot in a small stream." — R. B. W. 



" Dug out of hole by stream."— IF. II. W. 



External characters quite as in M. t. persicus, except that 

 the general tone is slightly greyer and the ears are rather 

 shorter. 



Skull essentially as in that animal, though the brain-case 

 is, perhaps, a little longer in proportion to its breadth and 

 the nasals incline to be more expanded anteriorly. 



Molars with quite the same pattern as in the lowland 

 form, but all tlie enamel-bound spaces, instead of being 

 sharply angular externally and internally, are rounded, often 

 almost circular, so that there are no real angles, external or 

 internal, either above or below, the teeth having therefore a 

 very peculiar and characteristic appearance, (piite unlike that 

 found in normal water-voles. 



Ann. d. Maj. X. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol.w. [-4 



