413 MR. G. E. H. BARRETT-HAMILTOK OK [Apr. 3, 



fur and the extremely light tints seem to mark this Mouse as a 

 light northern or mountain form of Mus sylvaticus, 



17. MUS SYLYATICUS CHEVRIERI. 



Mus chevrieri, A. Milne-Edwards, Eech. Mamm. pp. 288-9, 

 pi. xl. fig. 2 (1868) ; E. Biichner, op. cit. supra, sub Mus sylvaticus 

 major (p. 413). 



Type from Moupin, Tibet (Paris Museum) ; collector Pere 

 David. 



Distinguishing Characteristics, §e. This little-known Mouse was 

 originally described as a species on the ground of its slightly 

 greater size than that of M. sylvaticus, and agreement in colour 

 with 21. confucianus A. M.-Edw., as the young of which latter 

 species Milne-Edwards was disposed to regard it until an examina- 

 tion of the skull convinced him of its distinctness. 



The general colour is " d'un brun-fauve tiquete de brun-fonce ; 

 les parties inferieurs sont d'un gris trcs-clair, presque blanches." 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas has examined the types, which he thought 

 come very near to M. ananas Blanford ; their colour above is 

 bright rufous, with the belly white or slate-colour ; the fur on 

 the back in some instances is almost spinous. Herr Biichner, 

 who states that he also has seen the types, considers this sub- 

 species identical with Herr Eadde's M. s. major of Western 

 Siberia, which is itself very close to and a constant Eastern repre- 

 sentative of M. sylvaticus, while M. arianus Blanford represents 

 the same species in the South. According to Herr Biichner's 

 description of the typical series, the ground-colour of the upper- 

 side is a rusty golden brown, tolerably strongly mixed with dusky 

 brown or black. The whole underside is white. There is a 

 somewhat strong line of demarcation between the colours of the 

 two surfaces of the body. 



Distribution. IVot exactly known. I identify with this sub- 

 species only the typical series from Moupin, Tibet, and (pro- 

 visionally) a specimen (no. 82.6.16.7 of the British Museum 

 Collection) collected by Pere David at South Shensi, an inland 

 province of China, in 1873. This locality, which lies considerably 

 to the south-west of Pekin, is so far to the north of Moupin that 

 Pere David's specimen may represent a new form ; but it comes 

 sufficiently near the original description of M. chevrieri to be at 

 least provisionally assigned to it. The specimen, which is adult, 

 is apparently of about the same size as my M. s. draco, but is 

 brighter in its coloration. As in the Kuatun Field-mouse, the 

 underside is white, but the skull is more massively formed. 



18. Mus sylyaticus draco, subsp. nov. 



Mus chevrieri, Oldfield Thomas, P. Z. S. Nov. 15, 1898, p. 773. 



Type from Kuatun, N.W. Eokien, N/W". China (no. 98.11.1.20 

 of British Museum Collection) ; collector, Mr. J. D. La Touche. 



Distinguishing Characteristics. In external appearance this 

 Mouse resembles M. s. typicus Linnaeus, but is slightly smaller 

 and more brightly coloured on the upperside. 



