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Show 1900.] MUS SYLVATICUS AND ITS ALLIES. 417 20144 3~^r. Male. Pir Panjal Pass, Aug. 31, 1891. 8500 feet. Described from three specimens collected by Dr. W. L. Abbott "in pine forests at high elevations, two of them in Ceutral Kashmir and the third in the Pir Panjal Pass." Description. " Similar to typical 3Ius arianus Blanford in size and proportions, but having the upper surfaces ochraceous grey instead of rufous." An immature specimen " was especially grey above, and coincides in colour almost exactly with ordinary specimens of 31. musculus." The tw7o other specimens, a male and female, were "greyish, ochraceous brown above, which colour is produced by the mingling of hairs having ocher-coloured tips with others which are black." The dimensions of the feet, given in inches only, wrere in two of the dried specimens, after soaking in water, " slightly less than an average of measurements of 31. sylvaticus given by Mr. Thomas."' Distribution. Known only from the type specimens. General Remarks. Mr. True rightly draws attention to the extreme difficulty of ascertaining the real colour and appearance of M. s. arianus from descriptions only. That being so, it is doubly hard to determine in a similar manner the exact value of 31. griseus; but, until specimens are available, we cannot do wrong, I think, in considering it a mountain form of 31. sglvaticus. I cannot help suspecting, however, that Mr. Time's description of his specimens reads uncommonly like that of an immature set of individuals.1 16. MUS SYLVATICUS PALLIPES, subsp. nOV. Type. No. 75.8.17.6 (British Museum Collection), from Surhad Wahkan, Turkestan, April 28,1874 : collector, Capt. (now Colonel) Biddulph. Distinguishing Characteristics. The size of the body is apparentlv similar to, or rather smaller than, that of 31. s. intermedins, the length of the head and body, feet, and ears in the dried skin being about 85, 19 to 20, and 12 m m . respectively. The tail of the type specimen has been damaged, but is seemingly thicker than that of M. s. intermedins. The fur is very thick ; the colour of the upper-side extremely light and that of the underside white, but with an ill-defined line of demarcation between the colours of the two surfaces. Skull. Damaged, but closely resembles that of 31. s. intermedins except in the size of the last upper molar, which is larger than usual. Distribution. Known only from the type specimen. General Remarks. The single skin on which I base this description, although not a good one and having attached to it no dimensions taken in the flesh, is so unlike that of any other specimens of 31. sylvaticus which I have seen, that I have no doubt that it represents a distinct subspecies. The thick, almost rabbit-like ' Since this paper was read I have, through the courtesy of Mr. G. S. Miller, Junior, been able to examine Mr. Time's specimens. They are certainly not highly remarkable and would almost pass muster as British, were it not for the slight peculiarity of tint which they show. |
