﻿July, 1896.] 



SUBGENUS ANTELIOMYS. 



47 



Front lower molar. — The first lower molar Las the usual transverse 

 posterior loop aud a moderately long rounded anterior loop, with a 

 strong salient angle at each side of the base. It has fi^ve lateral tii- 

 angles, three on the inner side, two on the outer side. These may be 

 perfectl}^ isolated, or more often widely open. ExceiDt for the greater 

 tendency to equality in the triangles, the teeth in the lower jaw do not 

 differ very greatly from the mandibular teeth of true Microtus. 



Back tipper molar. — The posterior maxillary tooth most nearly resem- 

 bles that of Fedomys. The anterior loop is followed by two lateral 

 triangles, subequal in size and more or less completely isolated from 

 each other and from the anterior loop. The third lateral triangle is 

 reduced to a strongly develoi)ed salient angle on the iimer side of the 

 posterior transverse loop. A second salient angle is formed on the 

 outer side of this loop, which thus appears as a crescent joined near 

 the middle of its concavity to the rest of the tooth. 



Other teeth. — The middle upper molar has a postero internal loop 

 nearlj^ as large as the postero- external loop, the two placed opposite 

 each other. The result is a tooth of practically the same shape as the 

 one behind it. The anterior upper molar is likewise provided with a 

 very large postero- internal loop opposite the loop on the outer side, 

 normally terminating the tooth. Thus it very closely resembles the 

 two other maxillary teeth, differing only in its one more closed triangle 

 at the front end. 



Mamma\ — The number of mamma? in Eothenomys is unknown. 



Feet. — The feet are moderately hairy, in this respect not differ- 

 ing from true Microtus. Blanford states that there are five well- 

 developed pads on the sole and a rudimentary sixth. The claws are 

 not greatly developed on any of the feet; those on the hind feet are the 

 longest. 



Fur. — A skin in the British Museum has the fur of a peculiar, dense, 

 mole-like qualit}' suggestive of Pity my s. The specimen appears to be 

 in worn coat, however, and this character may not be normal. 



General remarks. — FotJtoiomys is such a well-marked subgenus that 

 it is surprising to find that it has hitherto received no name. In tooth 

 pattern it agrees in a general way with Jlicrotus sikkimensis, a circum- 

 stance which induced Blanford to place it in the subgenus 'Xeodon;- 

 but the palate structure is widely different from that of the subgenus 

 Microtus, to which M. sikkimensis really belongs, while the similarity 

 in the enamel pattern of the two species is very superficial. 



Subgenus ANTELIOMYSi Miller. 

 New subgenus. Type Microtus cJiinensis Tlioiuas. 



Geographic distribution of type species. — Microtus cliinensis is known 

 from one specimen collected at Kiating-fu, west Sze-chuen, China. 



AvTi'jXioi, eastern; jiiL<, mouse. 



