154 Mr. M. A. G. Hlnton 



on 



Anteliomys, Miller. 

 4. Anteliomys tvardi,Thos. 



^, 90, 91, 92, 9i, 154 ; ? . 93, 166. iMelcong- Valley, in 

 latitude 28° N., and at altitudes between 8000' and 12,000'. 



c^. 189, 195, 197, 199, 204, 205, 215, 273, 339, 344, 347, 

 349 ; ? . 196, 208, 211, 213, 219, 220. Divide between 

 Mekong and Salween Rivers, in latitude 28° N. and 

 28° 20' N. ; at altitudes between 10,000' and 14,000'. 



c^ . 310, 316, 318 ; ? . 307. Divide between Kiu-chiang 

 and Salween Uivers, in latitude 28° N., at altitudes between 

 12,000' and 14,000'. 



This is a common and widely-distributed species in N.W. 

 Yunnan, where it inhabits the high Alpine meadows. 

 Mr. Forrest trapped many '^amongst rocks," and some, at 

 the highest stations, upon snow-clad surfaces. 



Neodon, Hodgson. 



1849. Neodon, Hodgson, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) iii. p. 203 ; geno- 

 type, N. sikimensis. 



1863. Bicimedens, Hodgson in Gray, Cat. Spec. & Drawings Mamni., 

 Birds etc. of Nepal and Tibet, Brit. Mus. ed. 2, p. 2; geno- 

 type, B. perfuscus (apparently a MS. name for N. sikimensis), 

 Arvicola, Microtus, and Pitymys of later authors. 



One of the new species discovered by Mr. Forrest belongs 

 to a small group o£ Asiatic voles, remarkable for combining 

 dental characters hitherto considered to be diagnostic of 

 the genus Pitymys (among Old World forms), with cranial 

 and external characters similar to those found in true 

 Microtus. By this combination of cliaracters the group in 

 question is sharply defined, and it unquestionably deserves 

 generic recognition. The \\2ime Neodon, applied long ago by 

 Hodgson to the Flower Mouse of Sikkim {Microtus sikimensis 

 of current literature), is available for this genus, since this 

 species proves on examination to be a conspicuous member 

 of the group, although its characters and relationships have 

 hitherto been but imperfectly understood. 



The essential characters of the genus Neodon may be set 

 forth as follows : — 



Skull nearly as in true Microtus. Palate normal. Tem- 

 poral ridges, in fully adult skulls, fusing to form a weak 

 but linear sngittal crest in the interorbital region ; the 

 squamosals, frontals, and parietals correspondingly and pro- 

 gressively modified with advancing age. Bullye with a weak 

 development of spongy bone internally. 



Cheek-teeth (figs. 8-12) essentially as in Pitymys-. mi 



