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Show 413 MR. G. E. H. BARRETT-HAMILTON ON [Apr. 3, fur and the extremely light tints seem to mark this Mouse as a light northern or mountain form of Mus sylvaticus. 17. MUS SYLVATICUS CHEVRIERI. Mus chevrieri, A. Milne-Edwards, Bech. M a m m . pp. 288-9, pi. xl. fig. 2 (1868); E. Biichner, op. cit. supra, sub 31us sylvaticus major (p. 413). Type from Moupin, Tibet (Paris Museum); collector Pere David. Distinguishing Characteristics, Sfc. This little-known Mouse was originally described as a species on the ground of its slightly greater size than that of 31. sylvaticus, and agreement in colour with 31. confucianus A. M.-Edw., as the young of wiiich latter species Milne-Edwards was disposed to regard it until an examination of the skull convinced him of its distinctness. The general colour is " d'un brun-fauve tiquete de brun-fonce; les parties inferieurs sont d'un gris tres-clair, presque blanches." Mr. Oldfield Thomas has examined the types, which he thought come very near to 31. arianus Blanford ; their colour above is bright rufous, with the belly white or slate-colour; the fur on the back in some instances is almost spinous. Herr Biichner, who states that he also has seen the types, considers this subspecies identical with Herr Badde's M. s. major of Western Siberia, which is itself very close to and a constant Eastern representative of 31. sylvaticus, while 31. arianus Blanford represents the same species in the South. According to Herr Biichner's description of the typical series, the ground-colour of the upper-side is a rusty golden brown, tolerably strongly mixed with dusky brown or black. The whole underside is white. There is a somewiiat strong line of demarcation between the colours of the two surfaces of the body. Distribution. Not exactly known. I identify with this subspecies only the typical series from Moupin, Tibet, and (provisionally) a specimen (no. 82.6.16.7 of the British Museum Collection) collected by Pere David at South Shensi, an inland province of China, in 1873. This locality, which lies considerably to the south-west of Pekin, is so far to the north of Moupin that Pere David's specimen may represent a new form ; but it comes sufficiently near the original description of 31. chevrieri to be at least provisionally assigned to it. The specimen, which is adult, is apparently of about the same size as my M. s. draco, but is brighter in its coloration. As in the Kuatun Field-mouse, the underside is white, but the skull is more massively formed. 18. Mus SYLVATICUS DRACO, subsp. nov. 3Ius chevrieri, Oldfield Thomas, P.Z. S. Nov. 15, 1898, p. 773. Type from Kuatun, N . W . Fokien, N . W . China (no. 98.11.1.20 of British Museum Collection); collector, Mr. J. D. La Touche. Distinguishing Characteristics. In external appearance this Mouse resembles 31. s. typicus Linnaeus, but is slightly smaller and more brightly coloured on the upperside. |