MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA, BURMA AND CHYLOJS'. 491 



(66) MiCROTUs (Alticola ) KOYLEi, Gray. 



Royle's Vole. 



(Synonymy in No. 15.) 



S 1, Changu ; c? 4, $ 6, Kapup ; J -5, $ 3, Gnatong ; S 7, 

 $7, Lachen ; J -5, $1, Thangu. 

 Quite like the series obtained in Kumaon. 



" A great burrower, but was also taken under rocks, bushes and walls. It 

 is very gregarious and seems to be able to withstand intense cold." — C.A.O. 



(67) Cannomys badius, Hodgs. 

 The Bay Bamboo Rat. 



1842. Rhizomys badius, Hodgson, Calc. Journ. N. H., ii, p. 60. 



1842. Rhizomys minor, Gray, A. M. N. H., X., 266. 



1891. Rhizomys badius, Blanford, Mammalia, No. 312. 

 c? 1, ( juv ), Narbong. 



I use the name badius as geographically speaking this specimen should 

 belong to that species ; it is however so young an animal that it is not 

 identifiable with any certainty. 



" Vernacular name : — Poo Chokh (Lepcha). 



At low elevations in the foot hills. The burrow which is large, is gene- 

 rally in the side of a bank from which large quantities of earth are thrown 

 out."— C.A.O. 



(68) OCHOTONA ROYLEI, Ogilb. 



The Himalayan Mouse Save. 



1839. Lagomys roylei, Ogilby, Royles' HI. Bot., &c., Himalaya, 

 p. IXIX, pi. 4. 



1841. Lagomys hodysoni, Blyth,, J. A. S. B., x, p. 817. 

 c5"ll, $13, Gnatong; c?5, $3, Lachen. 



In the report for Kumaon I labelled the Pikas obtained there with the 

 name roylei, but the receipt of the present series and a more detailed 

 examination of the literature and the specimens in the National Collection 

 shows that I was mistaken. The type of roylei was from the " Ohoor 

 Mountain " near Simla. As shown by the plate given by Ogilby and by 

 the type ( a mutilated flat skin now made up into a specimen ) roylei is the 

 same colour all over ( upper side ) as are these specimens from Sikkim. It 

 is possible that the present series is separable from true roylei as a geogra - 

 phical race, but until we have a good series of topotypes of roylei to com- 

 pare with it it is inadvisable to deal with the question. 



I have not the type of hodgsoni to refer to but it seems to me certain from 

 Blyth's description and plate that it is closely allied to, if not identical 

 with, roylei. The type locality is Lahoul. 



In these circumstances the Kumaon series can no longer be accepted as 

 roylei. It is however Hodgson's nipalensis which is at once recognisable by 

 its whitish collar, and ochraceous colouring of the head and shoulders to 

 a greater or less extent. 



There seems to be no doubt that there is a considerable seasonal change 

 in the colouring of the various species of Ochtona so that it is most diflicult 

 to know what is due to geographical isolation and what to seasonal in- 

 fluence, I take this opportunity therefore to call the attention of members 

 to the great desirability of obtaining specimens of these animals at all 

 seasons of the year, at any given place. Another great desideratum is a 

 good aeries of specimens of roylei from the type locality, I'l'v., the *' Ohoor 

 Mountain" near Simla. 

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