Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 21. (Budapest 1924)

Éhik, J.: Preliminary description of a new Microtus agrestis from Hungary

I)r. ,!. 1.1UK the skull. The fur of the animal is somewhat liarsh and short, more so thau that of otherspecimens in my possession, amongwhich it is especially specimens of Lapland having a remarkable long and loose fur. On the backside hairs are haiidcd. As for Ihc length of the brain-case, it is not only elongate, but deeidedly long in the case of Mkrotus agrestis Bailloni, that of M. agrestis Levernedii is even longer, hnt the longesl is the brain-case with this ncw Hungarian subspecies. It is not excluded however that these marks are characteristic only in the case of subadult individuals, so that the animal is going to be proved idcntical wilh M. agrestis Levernedii on the base of further collections. That is why I give only a prcliminary description. A summary of this description is given in the following : Microtus agrestis pannonicus n. shsp. Type loeality: Ormand, near Komarvaros, county Zala, Hungary. Geographical distribidion: Known only from thc type loeality. Diagnosis: Brain-case narrow and long. the distance from condyle to haek of interorhital constriction much greater than zygOmatic breadth (10:13-;)). Colour: Lpper parts dark hlackish, mixcd with brown. Lnder parts light cream buff, faintly washed with white. On the back side there are two sorts of hairs : the longer ones arc dark slateblaek on their bases lill ahont Iheir half length, whiie the second half of the bairs is dark brown to a distance, then dark slateblack, again dark brown, and black at the extreme tip; in the casc of the shorter hairs Ihc black ti[> is missing. Both sorts of hairs are banded; the longer (black tipped) hairs are the densest in the middle of thc haek. they are rarer at the sides. The hairs on thc two sides of the hody are not banded, they are unifonn, dark slatecolorcd 011 their bases, lightcr and hrown at their tips. The hairs of the helly are uniform, light slate black on thcir bases, soiled while on their tips. mixed with light cream buff. The aniinal is silvery wliite ander its chin. its tail is sharply hieolor, light, below, quitc dark at its hack side. The moustache hairs are black, Lhe longer ones whilc at their tips. Teeth: Wilh no remarkable peculiarities. Skull long and narrow. thc distanee from condyle io back of interorbital constriction much greater than zygomatic hreadth. The grcatest diameter of auditory hulla eontained about 3 times in condylohasal length of skull (8-2 :23*5). Measurements of the 1 semiad. specimen from Ormand : Head and body 93; tail 28; hind fool 1.7 ; ear 9 mm,