976 MR. OLDFIELD THOMAS OX [Dec. 15,, 



some 23 miles west of Ning-wu-fu, and situated upon a portion 

 of the Mongolian Plateau which extends into Shan-si. 



" The Desert Hamster eats millet very greedily. 



" Chinese name, ' Mi-tsang-er ' (Mi= millet)." — J/. P. A. 



24. MiCROTUS MAXDARINUS M.-Ed\v. 



cJ. 1907, 1918, 1929, 1950. $.1908,1951. Mountains 12 

 miles N.W. of Ko-lan-chow, Shan-si. 7000'. 



These sjiecimens agree vei-y fairly with Milne-Edwards's de- 

 scription, and with his type, which I have examined in Paris. The 

 species was described from Chinese Mongolia, and its occurrence 

 here in Shan-si is therefore quite natural. 



These are the first examples of the true AI. viandarinus that 

 the Museum has received, those from Afghanistan previously 

 referred to the species being undoubtedly different. The latter 

 are members of the subgenus Phaiomys, and have the connection 

 between the second and third enamel-space of the first lower 

 molar Avhich is characteristic of Piti/mys and of true Phaiomys, 

 and may in fact be taken as equally diagnostic of the latter. 

 But if this be done, Microtus brandti and mandarinus, both of 

 which have five closed triangles in m^, cannot be considei'ed 

 members of Phaiomys, and woukl either be referable to MicroUi.s, 

 in spite of their long fore-claws, or Lataste's subgenus Lasio- 

 2Jodomys, founded on M. brandti, should be revived to contain 

 them. 



The following are flesh measurements of M. mandarinus : — 



J . Head and body 95 mm. ; tail 23 ; hind foot 17 ; ear 7. 

 2- „ 90 „ ; „ 20; „ 16; „ 8. 



" A rare thing : found only upon the mountain tops (7000 feet)- 

 among bushes and grass, or in open fields. Their burrows much 

 resemble those of the ' gray dwarf hamster ' (C. andersoni) ; we 

 trapped dozens of hamsters in our endeavour to secui'e more of 

 these voles." — M. P. A. 



25. Microtus (Eothenomys) inez. 



Thos. Abstr. P. Z, S. 1908, p. 45 (Dec. 15). 



S. 1896, 1919, 1921, 1930, 1949, 1952, 1954, 1956. ?. 1891, 

 1892, 1897, 1909, 1920, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1955. Moun- 

 tains 12 miles IST.W. of Ko-lan-chow, Shan-si. 7000'. 



A small pale-brown Yole with a certain skull-resemblance to 

 M. {Eothenomys) melanog aster. 



Fm- soft and fine, hairs of back 8-9 mm. in length. General 

 colour above a peculiar pinkish brown, rather browner than 

 Eidgway's " fawn-colour," lined with darker brown on the head, 

 and often rather paler on the fore-back. Under surface pale 

 " wood-brown," the slaty bases of the hairs showing through. Ears 

 about the length of the fur, not distinguishable by colour from 

 the general tone. Upper surface of hands and feet dull whitish : 

 fore claws slightly longer than hind ; soles with 6 pads. Tail of 



