88 MAMMALIA. 



The oldest name for this genus is undoubtedly Microtus, a name 

 which has recently been re-discovered by Lataste who has paid 

 considerable attention to this group of Mammals ; this same author 

 has recently proposed a new set of subgenera for the Palaeartic 

 species which do not seem to differ very essentially from those 

 proposed by Blasius, and since Lataste has not taken the Himalayan 

 forms into consideration and Blanford's excellent paper on the 

 Himalayan forms was founded on Blasius' scheme, this latter has 

 been adopted in the catalogue of the specimens enumerated below. 



The Himalayan voles are scarce in collections owing doubt- 

 less to the fact that they only occur in very remote and inaccess- 

 able places and at great heights above the sea, and it seems pro- 

 bable that the number of species may be reduced when a larger 

 number of specimens are obtained. 



The following synopsis of the Indian species is adopted from 

 Blanford's paper before quoted. 



Key of the Indian Species. 



a. The anterior upper molar has three angles in, and outside, the 

 2nd two inside and three out. The ant. lower m. has 

 normally seven spaces. 



b. The post, upper m. terminates in a" narrow longitudinal pro- 

 cess. [= Sub-genus Alticola}. 



c. The post, upper m. has two strong internal angles and four 

 weak outer angles ; thumb rudimentary and clawless. 



d. The post, lobe of the post, upper m., behind the second 

 inner angle, is less than half the length of the tooth. 



A. stoliczkanus, p. 89. 



d^. The post, lobe of the post, upper m., behind the second 

 inner angle, is half the length of the tooth. 



A. stracheyi, p. 90. 



c". The post, upper m. has two internal and two external 

 angles, the thumb is clawed and the ears are short. 



A. wynnei, p, 90. 



<^. The post, upper m. has three angles on either side ; the 

 thumb is clawed. 



e. In the ant. upper m. the first inner angle is proximal 

 to the first outer ; ears short. 



A. roylei,p. 91. 

 e^. In the ant. upper m. the first inner angle is distal 

 to the first outer ; ears large and projecting ; tail 

 half the length of head and body. 



A. blanfordi, p. 91. 



