ART. 1 MAMMALS FROM CHINA — HOWELL 53

54 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

^{vol. 75}

MICROTUS PELLICEUS Thomas

Microtus pelliceus Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, vol. 7, 1911, p. 383 (Ussuri River, Siberia).

/Specimens.

—

Twenty-nine

from

theSimgari River, 60 miles south- westof Kirin, Manchuria.

In

this species the incisors are

much

longer

and

project farther thanin

M.

coLamor-u/m.

Family RHIZOMYIDAE

Genus

RHIZOMYS

Gray RHIZOMYS

DAVmi

Thomas

Rhizomps damdl Thomas, Abst. Proe. Zool. Soc. London. No. 90, 1911, p. 5 (Kuatun, Fukien, China).

/Specimens.

— ^{Three from}

Yenpingfu, Fukien.

The

skulls of the

two

largest individuals

show some

differences

and

it is

by no means

impossible that the largest

and

smallest specimens

may

ultimately prove tobe sinensis,but ⁱⁿ the absence of

undoubted

representatives of the latter race,

and

in view of the fact that they are all

from

the

same

^place, it is certainly wiser to refer these speci-

mens

to davidi.

RHIZOMYSVESTITUS Milne-Edwards

Rhizomijs vestitus Mh^ne-Edwards, Nouv. Arch. Mus., 1871, p. 93 (Muping, Szechwan, China).

Specitnens.

—

^Five

from Szechwan

^:

Wenchwan,

3,

and Wanhsien,

2.

The

condylobasilar

measurement

of

some

of these skulls is larger (74

mm.)

than that given

by

the describer for vestitus, but the re-

semblance seemstobewiththis

form

ratherthan R.timrdi.

Family SPALACIDAE

Genus

MYOSPALAX Laxmann

The

four forms ofthis genus at

hand

are certainly not all distinct species, but the binomial should be used for

them

until a better understandingof the Asiatic molerats hasbeengained.

MYOSPALAX

CANSUS (Lyon)

Mijotalpai cansus Lyon, Smiths. Misc. Coll., vol. 50, 1907, p. 134 (Taochow, Kansu, China).

Specimens.

— ^Twenty-one

^:

^Yenanf

u, 1

and

Yulinf_u, Shensi, 5^;

and

the following

from Kansu;

15 miles southeast of Choni, 1; 15 miles northeast of Chengning, 8;

Taochow,

1 (thetype) ; 30 miles south of

Lanchow,

4^;

and

nearArchuen,

Minshan

Mountains, 1.

ART. 1

MAMMALS FEOM CHINA HOWELL 55 The

type of

M.

ccmsus is

male and

notfemale as atfirst recorded.

On

the basis of the present material I can not recognize the sub- species shenseius even though ^{topotypes are at} hand.

The

differ- ence in coloration is not sufficient to constitute a tenable character

and

the length of the maxillarytooth

row

doesnot proveto be longer in the Shensi skulls.

The

color of the four specimens

from

south of

Lanchow

is puzzling in that it is practically entirely gray,

and

theskullofat leastone

shows some

variation;but they areall rather

immature and

no other disposition can be

made

of

them

at present.

MYOSPALAX FONTANUS Thomas

Myospalax fontanus Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. _8, vol. 9, 1912, p. 93 (Ningwufu, Shansi, China).

/Specimens.

—

Thirteen

from

Shansi as follows: 20 miles west of

Ningwufu,

9; 10 miles south of Wutsai, 1;

and

90 miles west of Taiyuanfu, 3.

The

three specimens

from

west of

Taiyuanfu

are not appreciably different

from

the virtual topotypes of this large, rather pale form.

As

^is

M.

fontanieri the second nail of the

manus

is as long as the third. All

Sowerby

ever

saw

were

dug up by

natives while

working

in their fields, or

had

been flooded out

by

irrigation.

They

are re-

markable diggers

and

he once

watched

one

work

its

way

with aston- ishing rapidity into the packed

ground

of a Chinese courtyard.

They

are clumsy but can get

up

a fair speed.

They

dislike light intensely

and

always try to hide

away

in

some

dark corner.

When

feedingthey hold the food

down

with their forefeet.

MYOSPALAX ROTHSCHILDIThomas

Myospalax rothschUdi Thomas. Ann. INIag. Nat. Hist., per. 8, vol. 8, 1911, p. 122 (40 miles southeast ofTaochow, Kansu, China).

Specmiens.

—

^{Five skulls}

^and

^{four skins}

from Taochow,

Kansu.

Although aU

of these specimens are

immature

I have no hesitation in assigning

them

to this distinct species, for not onlj^has the pelage a soft quality

and

distinctive silvery sheen, but the skull characters of shortness of molar rows

and two

inner reentrant angles of

m^

are

shown

to

good

advantage. Additional items of interestare the short- ness

and

hairiness of the tail, relative width of the anterior nasals, slight development of the infraorbital septem of the maxilla, medial palatal spine,

form

of the

hamular

processes,

and

paleness of the incisors.

MYOSPALAX SMITHHThomas

Myospalax s^mithii Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, vol. _8, 1911, p. 720 (30 miles southeast of Taochow, Kansu, China).

Specimens.

— Two from Kansu:

30 miles east-southeast of

Lan-

chow, 1;

and

"probably Choni," 1.

56

PROCEEDIN"GS OF

THE

NATIONAL.

MUSEUM

^{vol. 75}

Although

not adult the last-mentioned specimen is indubitably assignable to this species

on

the characters of temporal fossae, inter- orbital,

and

third upper molar.

An

additional detail of importance

is the basioccipital,

which

extends farther ventrad than

any

part of the bullae. Unfortunately the second specimen is still younger. Al- though belonging to this

group

it is considerably different, for the pelage isof a delicatemaltese gray with no trace of buffy or brown, the infraorbital formina are very smajl, the basioccipital higher in respect to the bullae,

and

the inner reentrant angles of the molars are deeper.

The

occurrence ofso

many forms

ofthisgenus inthe neighborhood of

Taochow

isvery remarkable, but they have trustworthy characters

and

there is

no

reason for doubtingtheir validity.

Family MURIDAE

Genus

MERIONES

lUiger MERIONES PSAMMOPHILUS (Milne-Edwards)

OerMllus psammophilus Milne-Edwaeds, Rech. Mamm., 1871, p. 144 (Mon-

golia).

Specimens.

—

Twenty-one: Yulinfu, 2,

and

Yenanfu, Shensi, 6; 5 miles south, 6,

and

20 milesnorthwest of Taiyuanfu, 2,

and

20 miles west of

Ningwufu,

Shansi, 5.

The

Shensi example.saveragepaler

and more

ochraceousthan those

from

Shansi

and

it is a question whether the

two

lots should notbe separated.

The

claws are white, hairs of the unclerparts almost lacking ochraceous bases,

and

bullae attimestouching the zygomatic arches; but the bullae are so little larger than those of unguiculatus thatthis isapoor character for differentiation. "Wliile

Mr. Sowerby was

in the

Ordos

Desert he frequently

had

opportunity for watching these lively creatures playing about the

mouths

of their burrows inbroad daylight,whileelsewhere he has never seen

them

duringthe day.

They

are largely colonial.

MERIONES UNGUICULATUS (Milne-Edwards)

GerMlIus unguiculatus Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat., vol. 7, 1867, p. 377 (Mongolia).

Specimens.

— Two from

Tabul, Chihli.

The

claws of this species are black, belly hairs

plumbeous

at base

and

with the suggestion of a buffy overwash,

and

the bullae never touch the zygomatic arches.

AET. 1

MAMMALS FROM CHINA — ^HOWELL 57