. Catalogue of the mammals of western Europe (Europe exclusive of Russia) in the collection of the British Museum. 702 RODENTIA the underfur a dull, buflfy wood-brown (2 mm.) at tip, the longer hairs black, those of sides and rump with conspicuous bulFy tips or sub-terminal areas about 4 mm. in length. In both specimens the long hairs are more conspicuous than in any other European Microtus that I have examined. On sides the bufFy wood-brown is nearly clear and distinctly more yellow than the cream-bufF of Ridgway, but on back it is coarsely and conspicuously "lined" with black, the
. Catalogue of the mammals of western Europe (Europe exclusive of Russia) in the collection of the British Museum. 702 RODENTIA the underfur a dull, buflfy wood-brown (2 mm.) at tip, the longer hairs black, those of sides and rump with conspicuous bulFy tips or sub-terminal areas about 4 mm. in length. In both specimens the long hairs are more conspicuous than in any other European Microtus that I have examined. On sides the bufFy wood-brown is nearly clear and distinctly more yellow than the cream-bufF of Ridgway, but on back it is coarsely and conspicuously "lined" with black, the general effect of the two colours approaching olive or bister. Underparts yellowish cream-bufF irregularly clouded by the slaty bases of hairs. Feet a dull, light, brownish buffy. Tail obscurely bicolor, pale butfy below, dull brownish above. Skull.—The skull differs from that of all other known European species of Microtus in its very highly arched brain-case, which gives the dorsal profile a uniform convexity that is ex- ceedingly characteristic. Interorbital region, in the two skulls examined, rather broad, with distinct median longitvTdinal concavity and low but evident lateral ridges.* Nasals slightly tapering, their width pos- teriorly about three-fourths that anteriorly, their posterior termination square, slightly exceeded by nasal branch of premaxillary. In both of the skulls examined the length of nasal decidedly surpasses that of diastema, a condition not observed in other European species. Palatal foramina large, their width relatively to that of rostrum greater than in M. arvalis. Auditory bulL-e not peculiar, their size relatively about as in M. ari-alis. Teeth.—The teeth are strictly of the M. arvalis type. Terminal loop of both m'^ and n*! shortened as compared with the other European members of the arvalis group, so that in the former the third inner re-entrant angle is very shallow, and the extreme pos- terior portion of tlie tooth is a nearly straight loo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionbiod, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
