ARVICOLA 



733 



the large Arvicola amphibius of Great Britain than to any of the 

 geographically less distant members of the genus. At present, 

 however, no specimens have been examined from regions in which 

 intergradation with true Arvicola scherman might be expected to 



Fig. 152. 

 Arvicola sapidus. Nat. size. 



take place. In the Pyrenees and their immediate neighbourhood 

 a form of sapidus occurs in the same region as a strictly terrestrial 

 form of scherman, but the two animals are completely segregated 

 by their different modes of life. Two races of Arvicola sapidus 

 are now known. 



Abvicola sapidus sapidus Miller. 



1908. Arvicola sapidus Miller, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 8th ser., i, p. 195, 



February, 1908. Type in British Museum. 

 1910. Arvicola sapidus sapidus Miller, Proo. Biol. Soc. Washington, xxiii, 



p. 20, March 23, 1910. 

 1910. Arvicola sapidus Trouessart, Faune Mamm. d'Europe, p. x. 



Type locality. — Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos, Spain. 



Geographical distribution. — Essentially the entire Iberian 

 Peninsula. v 



Diagnosis. — General colour not so dark as in A. amphibius 

 amphibius, the sides and face a clear yellowish brown without 

 noticeable sprinkling of blackish hairs. 



Colour. — Upper parts a yellowish brown varying between the 

 ochraceous-buff and clay-colour of Ridgway, and not infrequently 

 tinged with russet, the back and crown sufficiently sprinkled with 

 black-tipped hairs to produce an evident effect of " lining," the 

 sides and cheeks nearly clear ; underparts light ochraceous-buff 

 clouded to a variable degree by the slaty grey under-colour ■ feet 

 drab-grey ; tail brownish, lighter below than above. 



Measurements. — External measurements of type (adult female) : 

 head and body, 187 ; tail, 123 ; hind foot, 34 ; ear, 18. Average 



