21. 
SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
tribution. It is a very voracious animal, 
and readily eats its companions when trapped. 
In certain parts where the natives lay their 
dead in holes along the rocky valley sides 
these rats live upon the corpses. While in 
North Shansi we heard a gruesome tale, 
how a lonely mountaineer fell ill and before 
help came was horribly gnawed by these rats. 
The subspecies was originally described from 
Yen-an Fu. 
Apodemus speciosus peninsule, 'Thos. 
Thirteen specimens, 5 33, 8 29. Lung- 
wang Shan, 20 miles E. of T’ai-yiian Fu, 
Shansi. 4,000 ft. 
Four specimens, 2 gg, 299. 50 miles N.W. 
of T’ai-yiian Fu, Shansi. 5,500 ft. 
Five specimens, 2 gg, 3 29. Mountains 
30 miles W. of K’uei-hua-ch’éng, N. 
Shansi. 7,000 ft. 
The last five specimens all agree with the 
others taken further south in Shansi and 
those recorded from Shensi, which have been 
referred to this subspecies. So far this is the 
most northerly point from which this species 
has been recorded. It is one of the commonest 
inhabitants of the mountainous and wooded 
areas, and is found at altitudes varying from 
3,000 ft. to 8,000 ft. It was first described 
from Corea. 
195 
