1881.] Himalayas, Tibet, and Afghanistan. 97 



1. Arvicola stoliczkanus. 

 Arvicola stoliczkanus, W. Blanford, J. A. S. B. 1875, xliv. pt. 2, p. 107; 

 Scient. Bes. Second YarJcand Miss., Mamm. 1879, p. 42, pi. viii. fig. 1, 

 pi. x b. fig. 2. 



Colour bright ferruginous brown above*, white below, the two colours 

 sharply divided ; feet and tail white. 



Fur soft, rather woolly, dark leaden grey at the base, the terminal 

 fourth on the back rufous-white, tipped with darker rufous, numerous 

 rather longer hairs with dark rufous-brown tips being intermixed. 



JEars small, completely concealed by the fur, covered with short bright 

 rufous hair towards the margin inside, and with longer and paler hair 

 outside. 



Feet small ; claws long, compressed, much concealed by long white 

 hairs ; thumb quite rudimentary and clawless. Tarsus hairy below, and 

 with a few hairs between the pads of the toes. 



Tail short, apparently about a quarter the length of the head and body 

 together, covered with stiff fulvescent white hair, which extend half an 

 inch beyond the end. 



inches. 



Length of head and body 40 



„ tail without hairs 1*0 



„ tarsus and hind foot with claws . . 0*7 



skull 1-15 



The description and measurements are from dried skins. 

 The following are the characters of the molar teeth : — 

 Upper molar I, 5 spaces, 3 external and 3 internal angles. 

 >j ?> IX > 4 „ 3 „ „ 2 „ „ 



» >> m> " » ^ ?> » ^ » >> 



Lower molar i, 7 „ 5 „ „ 5 „ „ 



}> 5) I*J " >> " >» >J " >) JJ 



>5 » m> « » " n » " >) j) 



The hinder upper molar has two strong salient angles on the anterior 

 portion of the inner side ; on the outer side there are anteriorly two weak 

 angles rather close together, then a deep sinus or emargination opposite 

 to the second inner angle, and behind this the tooth terminates in a narrow 

 elongate process with two slight projecting angles on the external side 

 only, none on the inside. This process behind the second inner angle is 

 much less than half the length of the tooth. 



The only two specimens of this species hitherto examined are from 

 the high plateaus of Northern Ladak (Western Tibet). 



* In the figure given in the ' Scientific Kesults of the Second Yaikand Mission 

 the colour is too dull and brown ; it should be more rufous. 



