Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 24. (Budapest 1926)
Éhik, Gy.: Magyarország földipockai
territories are in the suburbs of Budapest, Budafok and Esztergom on the slopes of the hills and mountains surrounding the city ; I do not believe, however, that their occurrence would be in close connection with the slopes of hills and mountains. The holes of the habitation of the Pitymys can be easily distinguished from these of the Microtus arvalis, as the holes of the former are not connected by well trodden paths. I do not know the subterranean dwelling of the Hungarian species. MARTELLI gives a detailed description of the subterranean habitation of the Pitymys Savii in his work quoted above 1 and he mentions that he was able to count no less than 30 openings on an area of 1 square meters connecting the habitation of the Pitymys with the surface of the earth. I never observed so many entrances to the habitation of the Pitymys in Hungary in such a narrow distance. I had only once the opportunity to observe the Pitymys in the open, on an August afternoon between 5 and 6 o'clock in a garden on the Sváb mountain at Budapest. The animal could move rather clumsily on the surface of the earth, the cautiousness characteristic for the movements of the Microtus and the total lack of quickness was instantly remarkable. I succeeded to allure the animal within an hour into a trap for live animals with a bait of almonds. They endure captivity comparatively well, especially if their necessary alternative food is provided for. My captive animals never tried to bite, they let themselves to be caught without the least visible sign of anger of defence. They were so tame that they let themselves to be photographed held in the hand. It is a pity that I could not afford the luxury under the circumstances at that time to photographe them as long as I have an absolutely good picture of them. My pictures available are yet good enough to demonstrate the utter tameness of te animals. (See plate.) RODOLPHE ZIMMERMANN observed 2 that the animal, if touched, flinged itself on its back and tried to avert the hand by kicking with its feet. My animals kept in captivity never behaved this way, so that the flinging on the back and kicking of the animal was probably the individual propriety of the animal of ZIMMERMANN. ZIMMERMANN comes to the conclusion from his observation that the smelling capacity of the animal is excellent. His observation is confirmed also by SCHREITMÜLLER. 3 I myself observed that no matter how much food they had, they appeared instantly after 1 1. c. p. 220—223. 2 ZIMMERMANN, R. : Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der kurzohrigen Erdmaus Microtus subterraneus Sélys. (Arch. f. Naturg. 86, A, Hett 8, 1920, p. 84—92.) 3 SCHREITMÜLLER: Einiges über die kurzohrige Erdmaus (Microtus subterraneus Sélys) in Nordfrankreich. (Arch. f. Naturg. 88, A, Heft 7, 1922, p. 38—42.)
