mammals fkom western ciiixa. 177 



40. Proedromys bedfordi. 



Thos. Abstr. P. Z. S. 1911, p. 4 (Feb. 14). 

 2- 2214. 60 miles S.E. of Min-Chow, Kan-su. 8000'. 

 11 March, 1910. B.M. Ko. 11.2.1.235. Type. 



Proedromys *. 



General external form as in Microtus. Far very long. Sole- 

 parls 6. Mamm® 2—2=8. 



Skull heavily built, high, its upper profile strongly curved. 

 Postorbital squamosal pi'ojections strongly developed, almost 

 peg-like. Palatal foramina long. Posterior palate normal. 

 Bullpe rather large. 



Teeth. Upper incisors heavy, strongly curved, not thrown 

 forward ; their front face grooved on its outer third. Lower 

 incisors short posteriorly, ending at the bottom of the notch 

 between the angular and condyloid processes, as in Anteliomys. 

 Molars with their enamel spaces all completely se|3arated from 

 each other, the anterior wall of each upper space and posterior of 

 each lower one unusually strongly curved, so as to form in many 

 cases nearly half of a circle. Number of spaces and salient angles 

 as follows : — ■ 



-ii/r -I J 5 spaces, 3 inner and 3 outer angles. t«,t 9 J 4 . 2 . 3 _ -n /r o 



5.3.3 [3.3.2 



M^ very peculiar, consisting of the usual transverse, second and 

 third spaces, and then a circular posterior lobe directed externally, 

 the posterior lobe of this tooth in every other Vole, so far as I am 

 aware, being dii-ected inwards. Anterior space of m, forming 

 a simple crescent. Mg with broad connected spaces across it as 

 usual. 



I fail to find any group into which this long-haired Vole can be 

 fitted. Its heavy bowed skull, grooved incisors, jseculiar curved 

 walled tooth-spaces, and curious nig seem together to distinguish 

 it from any described genus. The grooving of the incisors is 

 possibly an individual chai-acter, but the other features of the 

 animal are so marked that it should certainly have a sjiecial 

 name. 



Proedromys bedfordi. 



Size medium. General form that of an average Vole, the tail 

 rather more than a third the length of the head and body. Fur 

 excessively long, soft, and fine; hairs of back about 16 mm. in 

 length. General colour above coai'sely lined dull brown (darker 

 than " broccoli- orown "), the lower flanks more drabby ; under 

 surface slaty drrb washed with brownish white. Ears hairy, pale 



* Trpoei'pos, a Piosident. Named in honour of the Society';- President, to whose 

 generositj' the discovery of this animal is due. 



Proc. Zool. : oc— 1911, No. XII, 12 



