U. S. DEPARTMENT 01; AGRICULTURE DIVISIOh’ OF OI1NITHOLOGY ASD 3IAMMALOGY Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/naf/article-pdf/doi/10.3996/nafa.12.0001/2583619/nafa_12_0001.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 NORITH AMERICAN FAUNA [Actual date of publication, July 23, 1896.l GENEIlX IZ’SD SCl3GENER.Z @F T‘OLES AND LEMMINGS Is\- GERRIT S. MILLER, Jr. Prepared iiiicler tho direction of Dr. C. HART MERRIAM CHIEF 0F DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY AND MAXMALOGY WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1896 LETTER OF TRAKShIITTAL, Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/naf/article-pdf/doi/10.3996/nafa.12.0001/2583619/nafa_12_0001.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 UNITED STATES DEPARTXENTOF AGRICULTCRE, DIVISIONOF ORNITHOLOGY AND MAMXALOGY, TVaslbingtoib, D. C., i3hy 12, 1896. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, adrecoinmend for pub- lication, the maiiuscript of No. 12 of North American Fauna, treating of the Genera, and Subgenera of Tales and Lemmings, mid comprising results of investigations carried on in the Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy by Gerrit S. Miller, jr. Respectfully, (3. HARTMERRIAX, Chief oj. Division. Dr. CHAS. W. DABNET,Jr., Acti$bg Secretary of Agriculture. 3 CONTENTS. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/naf/article-pdf/doi/10.3996/nafa.12.0001/2583619/nafa_12_0001.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATES. 1. Skiills of Microtus niacropus, X. pinetorum, X. arralis, M. curtatws, Jf. oregoni, M. terreshis, X. albicauda, M. fertilis, Xvotontys gapperi, Phenacomys oramonlis, Lemmirs nigripes, Synaptoniys rorangeli, 8. helaletes, Dic~ostonyxtorquatus. 2. Bony palates ol I'henncomys, Xicrolirs, Laguricn, Pityntys, Araicola, Alticola, dntelionbys, Eotlienomys, Erotomys, Areo$ber, Dicrostonyx, Lemmus, Fiber. 3. Mandibles of Synaptonr!ys, I'henacomys, Xicrotus, Evotomys. TEST FIGURES. 1. First upper molar of six specimens of Xicrotus pennsylranicus. 2. Second upper molar of six specimens of Xicrotris pennsylvanicits. 3. Third upper molar of eighteen specimens of Microtus 2iennspZtwnicus, 4. First lower molar of eighteen specimens of Microtus pennsylcanicus. 5. Second lower molar of fonr specimens of Microtus pennsylvanicus. '6. Third lower molar of four specimens of Xicrotus pennsplvanicus. 7. Palatal view of skull of ;1zicrotus nrvulis and Evotoniys gapperi. 8. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Synaptomys cooperi. 9. Palatal view of skulls of Synaptomys and Mictomys. 10. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Synaptomys innuitlce. 11, Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Lemmus lemmus. 12. Left front foot of Lemnius lemnaus. 5 6 ILLUSTRATIONS. 13. Enamel pattern of Dicrosfonys from Ungava. 14. Ear of Dicrostonyx and Lemmus. 15. Left front foot of three specimens of Dicrostonyx from Alaska, showing seasonal change in form of middle claws. 16. Side view of molars of adult and young PhenaconLys. 17. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Pltenaconiys celatus. 18. Side view of molars of adult and j-oung Evotonbys. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/naf/article-pdf/doi/10.3996/nafa.12.0001/2583619/nafa_12_0001.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 19. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Evotoniys gapperi. 20. Side view of molars of adult Microtus. 21. Left front foot of Hicroks terrestris. 22. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Microtus (Eothenoniys) nielanogaster. 23. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Xicrotus (dnteliOniy8) chlnensis. 24. Audital bull% of Xicrotus (Microtus) arvaliu and 31. (Lagums)pallidus. 25, Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Microtus (Lagurus) luteus, M.(.L.) lagurus, and X. (L.)pallidus. 26. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Microtui (Jlticola) abbicauda. 27. Audital bulls of Xicrotus (Allicola) albicauda and X. (Hyperacrius)fertilis. 28. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Xicrotus (Hyperacrius)fertiZis. 29. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Xicrotus (Pedontys) austerus. 30. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Microlus (Yhaionzys) strauchi. 31. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Xicrotus (Pitymya)pinetoruin and M. (P.) savii. 32. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Microtus (Chilotus) oregoni. 33. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Mic~otzes(Xkrotua) arvaZi8, H. (M.) nivalis, N. (X.)pennsylvanicus, and M. (X.)ratticeps. 34. &name1 pattern of molar teeth of Xicrotus (Arvicola) terrestris and M. (A.) macrop us. 35. Enamel pattern of front lower molar of type of Xicrotus arvicoloides. 36. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Xicrolus (Xeo$ber) alleni. 37. Dorsal view of skull of Fiber. 38. Side view of molars of aclult giber. 39. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of Fiber zibethicus. 40. Enamel pattern of molar teeth of 'Arvicola' itcterntedius. No, 12, NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA, July, 1896, Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/naf/article-pdf/doi/10.3996/nafa.12.0001/2583619/nafa_12_0001.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 THE GENERA AND SUBGENERA OF VOLES AND LEhJiIMINGS, By GERRIT S. MILLER, Jr. The followidg revision of the genera and subgenera of voles and lem- miugs is chiefly the result of a study made in the Division of Ornithol- ogy and Mammalogy of the collections belonging to the United States Department of Agriculture. This material has been supplemented by specimens from my own private collection and those of Mr. Outrairi Bangs, Mr. S. N. Rhoads, and Dr. C. Hart Merriam. I have also ha"l access to the voles and lemmings in the American Museum of Natural History, the United States National Museum, and the British Museum Thazlks are due to all who have placed material at my disposal, hnd especially to Mr. Oldfield Thomas, curator of' mammals in the British Museum. Hitherto no attempt has been made to compare in detail the voles and lemmings of the Old and New Worlds. This is the necessary result of the poor quality and sinall number of specimens from the opposite side of the Atlantic, to be found in museums and private collections in both Europe and America. In consequence of this lack of material, writers who have been thoroughly acquainted with indigenous voles and lemmings have either made no comparison of these with exotic forms, or have reached faulty or at least incomplete conclusions with regard to groups occupying widely separated geographic regions. For determining the relationships of the diEerent voles and lenimings the collection in the Britlish Museum offers exceptional facilities. It contains representatives of all the recent genera and subgenera found in the Old World, and lacks oiily one of those peculiar to America. The coHection is, moreover, especially rich in specimens identified by the inore prominent writers on the subject-a circumstance of the utmost importance. The drawings for the illustrations in this paper, except fig. 9 and PIS. I and 11, were made under my constant supervision by Mr. F. Miiller. Pls. I and I1 were prepared by Dr. JameR 0. McConnell. Figs. 4, 5, S, and 10 of P1. I1 mere drawn in ink by Dr. NcConnell from pencil drawings made at the British Museum by Mr. Hollick. Fig. 7 of the same plate is by Dr. NcCoitnell from a pencil drawing by Mr. A. 7 8 NORTH AMERICAN FAIJNA. [No. 12. Westergren. The tracings of the ena’mel pattern of Microtus Zuteus and iV. 7agurus are enlarged from figs. 10, 11, 15, and 16 of P1. XI11 of Biichner’s ‘Wisseiischaftliche Resultate der von N. M. Przewalski nach Central-Asien unternommenen Reisen.’ In fig. 22 the enamel pat,terns of the front lower molar and middle and back upper molars are enlarged from Mr. Hoilick’e pencil drawing of a specimen from Fokien, China Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/naf/article-pdf/doi/10.3996/nafa.12.0001/2583619/nafa_12_0001.pdf by guest on 28 September 2021 (British Museum Register 92.10.12.52), the other teeth from fig. 1, P1. XLVI of Milne-Edwards’s Recherches pour servir A 1’ Histoire Naturelle des Mammifkres.’ Fig. 23 is compounded in the same way from Mr. Hollick’s drawing and the original figure published by Thomas. THE SUBFAMILY MTCROT INB AND ITS MAIN DIVISIONS. The subfamily Microtinct? is a group of murine rodents closely related to the Neotominct?, Cricetina?,and Myotu7pinm.2 It is distinguished from the first and second by cranial and dental characters; from the last chiefly by peculiarities in external form.3 While it is not the purpose of the present paper to discuss the relationships of the Microtin& to any of these, it is important to consider in some detail t’helarger divisions of the subfamily itself before taking up the genera and subgenera. The members of the subfamily Microtinct? fall naturally into two supergeneric groups, the Lemmi and Microti, or lemmings and voles. The former includes the genera fiynuptornys, Lernmus, and Dicrostonyx, the latter the genera Phenacomys, Evotomys, IWicrotus, and Piher. Lemmi.-Skull generally broad and massive ; lower incisors short, with roots endiug on inner side of molars (Pl. 111, fig. 1);crowns of maxillary teeth scarcely, if at all, narrower posteriorly than anteriorly (figs. 10,11?and 12); tail usually shorter than hind foot (in Synuptowiys slightly longer) j palms and soles usually without distinct tubercles. Microti.-Skull comparatively slender and lightly built ; lower incisors long, with roots ending on outer side of molars (Pl. 111, figs. 2 and 3); crowns of maxillary teeth distinctly narrower posteriorly than anteriorly (figs. 17,19, 21-35); tail usually much longer than hind foot (in the Asiatic species of Lugurzcs distinctly shorter) ; palms and soles always with distinct tubercles. In external appearance the lemmings and voles differ considerably. The former are mostly thick-set animals, witli powerful fossorial feet, long, dense fur and very short tails, while the latter are inore slender, with longer tails and with the fur and feet not so highly modified. ~~ 1 =drvicolinct: Auct. This name, however, must be abandoned, together wj th the generic name Aruicola (see p. 14). 2 =Sipheinct: Auct. As Siphneus (Brants, 1825) must give place to MyotaZpct (Kerr, 1592) (see Allen, Bull.