4o8 MURID/E— EVOTOMYS 



rudimentary, with minute nail. Digit five reaches to the base of four ; 

 three is slightly longer than four, and four than two. There are five 

 large normally placed pads; the intervening skin is finely tuberculo- 

 reticulate. In each foot the hallux reaches to the base of digit two ; 

 digit five slightly beyond the base of four; four, three, and two are 

 subequal in order of length. There are six normally placed pads, 

 smaller than those of the hand, especially the posterior; the inter- 

 vening sole is naked and tuberculo-reticulate, densely haired behind. 



Colour : — The reddish mantle extends from the forehead in front of 

 the eyes to the base of the tail, and is usually near "vandyke brown," 

 strongly washed with "cinnamon rufous," and sprinkled with longer 

 black hairs ; the flanks, cheeks, and the face before the eyes are lighter. 

 There is no distinct line of demarcation. The under side is whitish, 

 frequently washed to a variable extent with yellowish or buff; the feet 

 are greyish, the tail inconspicuously bicoloured. The colours are lighter 

 red when faded, as in late winter. 



The carpal vibrissse appear with the first pelage in the nest. The 

 whiskers reach a length of from 22 to 28 mm. 



Moult; a coarser coat is assumed in October, after which in cold 

 localities the flanks may be greyer, as in Sciurus. A moult has also 

 been observed in early May (8th) [and by Collett in July or August 

 in the Norwegian Evotomys]. 



The young have the upper side less brightly coloured. In the 

 woolly Juvenal coat the under side is at first dusky ; later, as longer 

 hairs with light tips increase in number, the characteristic tints of 

 the adult are gradually assumed, at first on the upper side, but a 

 buff or yellowish belly, when present, is characteristic of the adult 

 pelage, hence it is most conspicuous in winter. 



There is some local variation. Specimens from Scotland (W. 

 Evans) and Anglesey (Oldham, Zoologist, 1895, 302) are said to show 

 very dull tints as compared, for instance, with those from near Swansea. 

 At Reigate, Surrey, adults have a greyish-white belly ; this is purer 

 white in Hertfordshire, most brilliant in winter (Adams). The subject 

 requires investigation by local naturalists. Occasionally a specimen 

 has the mantle so pale and the sides, cheeks, and face so grey as to 

 recall the coloration of continental sub-species. The most pronounced 

 of these are from Scotland, where also Millais believes that the average 

 size is larger. 



For the skull and teeth, see description of genus Evotomys. m^ 

 is usually simple, having on each side three well-defined salient angles 

 and two infolds. 



Exceptional variation : — Forrest has sent me a note of a melanic 

 individual taken at Ellesmere, Shropshire ; the whole animal was 

 uniform dull brownish - black. Several entirely or partially albinic 



