So6 MURID^— APODEMUS 



A. agrarius, Pallas {Nov. Sp. Quad, e Glir., 1778, 95 ; described 

 from Berlin), the " Brandmaus," is a species with a very wide range, 

 extending from Denmark and Germany across Eurasia to the coast of 

 China and Korea ; it is also known to inhabit some of the Asiatic 

 coastal islands, such as Quelpart, but it does not reach Japan ; its 

 absence from Britain, Skandinavia, and Iberia is noteworthy. In its 

 typical form this species is characterised by the ochraceous colour of the 

 upper parts, and the middle of the back is clothed with black hairs which 

 form a sharply defined dorsal streak. The tail, ears, and feet are relatively 

 short, and the general form is stouter than in the sylvaticus group; 

 there are eight mammae. The skull has supra-orbital beads as in A. 

 speciosus. The cheek-teeth (PI. XXVIII., Fig. 6) are more highly special- 

 ised than are those of other species ol Apodemus : the median tubercles of 

 the upper teeth are much enlarged at the expense of the outer and inner 

 rows ; cusp i is much reduced in m^ and has vanished from m^ ; cusp 7 

 is reduced in m^. This group has not improbably originated in the East, 

 and it may well be the result of a specialisation of the same stock as 

 that from which A. speciosus has descended. In this connection it may 

 be noted that in A. chevrieri, Milne-Edwardes {Rech. Mamm., 1868, 288 ; 

 described from eastern Thibet), a close ally of A. agrarius, the fur 

 develops spines in the summer and there is no trace of dorsal darken- 

 ing. In the Chinese A. a. ningpoensis, Swinhoe {Proc. Zool. Soc, 1870, 

 637), there is little trace of the dorsal streak, while in A. a. corece, Thovazs 

 {Proc. Zool. Soc, 1908, 8 ; described from Korea and Quelpart Island), 

 it is subject to great variation, and th6 summer coat is spiny. Other 

 far-eastern sub-species, A. a. mantchuricus, Thomas {Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 1898, 774), and A. a. pallidior, Thomas {Proc. Zool. Soc, 1908, 8; 

 described from the Shantung Peninsula), resemble the European A. 

 agrarius in these respects. 



THE FIELD MOUSE.1 



A PODEMUS SYL VA TIC US (Linneeus). 

 APODEMUS SYLVATICUS SYLVATICUS (Linnseus). 



1758. [Mus] SYLVATICUS, Carolus Linnaeus, Systema Natura, loth ed., 62 ; described 

 from Upsala, Sweden ; Fleming ; Jenyns ; Bell (ed. i and 2) ; Turton and practi- 

 cally all authors, except as given below. 



1839. Mus INTERMEDIUS, J. C. Bellamy, Natural History of South Devon, 195 and 

 329, and figure ; described from Whiteford stables, Devonport, Devonshire. 



1900. Mus SYLVATICUS INTERMEDIUS, G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 London, 398 ; Johnston ; Millais ; Trouessart. 



' Long-tailed Field Mouse or Wood Mouse of some authors. 



