1900. J MUS SXLYATICUS AND ITS ALLIES. 417 



20144 



35507" Ma,e ' Kr Pan J al Pass ' Au S- 31 > 189L 850 ° £eet ' 



Described from three specimens collected by Dr. W. L. Abbott 

 "in pine forests at high elevations, two of them in Central Kashmir 

 and the third in the Pir Panjal Pass." 



Description. " Similar to typical Mus arianus Blanford in size 

 and proportions, but having the upper surfaces ochraceous grey 

 instead of rufous." An immature specimen "was especially grey 

 above, and coincides in colour almost exactly with ordinary spe- 

 cimens of M. muscukis." The two other specimens, a male and 

 female, were "greyish, ochraceous brown above, which colour is 

 produced by the mingling of hairs having ocher-coloured tips with 

 others which are black." The dimensions of the feet, given in 

 inches only, were in two of the dried specimens, after soaking in 

 water, " slightly less than an average of measurements of M. syl- 

 vaticus given by Mr. Thomas." 



Distribution. Known only from the type specimens. 

 General Remarks. Mr. True rightly draws attention to the 

 extreme difficulty of ascertaining the real colour and appearance of 

 M. s. arianus from descriptions only. That being so, it is doubly 

 hard to determine in a similar manner the exact value of M. griseus ; 

 but, until specimens are available, we cannot do wrong, I think, 

 in considering it a mountain form of M. sylvaticus. I cannot help 

 suspecting, however, that Mr. True's description of his specimens 

 reads uncommonly like that of an immature set of individuals. 1 



16. MUS SYLVATICCTS PALLIPES, subsp. UOV. 



Type. No. 75.8.17.6 (British Museum Collection), from Surhad 

 Wahkan, Turkestan, April 28, 1874 : collector, Capt. (now Colonel) 

 Biddulph. 



Distinguishing Characteristics. The size of the body is apparently 

 similar to, or rather smaller than, that of M. s. intermedins, the 

 length of the head and body, feet, and ears in the dried skin being 

 about 85, 19 to 20, and 12 mm. respectively. The tail of the type 

 specimen has been damaged, but is seemingly thicker than that of 

 M. s. intermedins. The fur is very thick ; the colour of the upper- 

 side extremely light and that of the underside white, but with an 

 ill-defined line of demarcation between the colours of the two 

 surfaces. 



Skull. Damaged, but closely resembles that of M. s. intermedins 

 except in the size of the last upper molar, which is larger than usual. 



Distribution. Known only from the type specimen. 



General Remarks. The single skin on which I base this 

 description, although not a good one and having atiached to it no 

 dimensions taken in the flesh, is so unlike that of any other speci- 

 mens of M. sylvaticus which I have seen, that I have no doubt that 

 it represents a distinct subspecies. The thick, almost rabbit-like 



1 Since this paper was read I have, through the courtesy of Mr. G-. S. 

 Miller, Junior, been able to examine Mr. True's specimens. They are certainly 

 not highly remarkable and would almost pass muster as British, were it not 

 for the slight peculiarity of tint which they show. 



