OCR Text |
Show 18/6.] MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON THE FAUNA OF TIBET. 633 although much light has been thrown upon the subject by Preje-walski's explorations. Lately, when examining the collections brought by Dr. Stoliczka from Western Tibet and Eastern Turkestan, I endeavoured to make a list of the mammals known to inhabit the Tibetan plateau. The list is naturally very imperfect; but still, I think, it is of some value, because it serves completely to dissipate the idea of there being any thing in common between the fauna of Tibet and that of the Himalayan-forest region or the Malay region. It is quite true that a few forms such as Lagomys and Arvicola extend into the alpine portion of the Himalayan region ; but this may be partly due to a law of diffusion which is always found to prevail on the edge of two different zoological provinces, if no impassable physical barrier intervenes. Moreover the Himalayan species are generally distinct from the Tibetan ; and they may be members of a Boreal fauna to which Cervus cashmeriensis and Ursus isabellinus * belong, and which is well developed in Kashmir and may, I think, be traced throughout the Himalayas. In the list which I append, W . is added to the names of all species only known from Western Tibet, E. to those hitherto brought from Eastern Tibet alone. LIST OF MAMMALIA KNOWN TO INHABIT THE TIBETAN PLATEAU. CHIROPTERA. Plecotus auritus. W . INSECTIVORA. Sorex (Crocidura) myoides. W. CARNIVORA. Felis uncia. Canis (Vulpes) ferrilatus. E. Felis manul. E. Canis (Cuon) alpinusfl Felis isabellina. Maries toufaus. Canis laniger ( = C. chanco). Mustela erminea. Canis niger (perhaps a variety of Mustela temon. the foregoing). Putorius larvatus. E. Canis (Vulpes) montanus ( = C. Lutra, sp. W. flavescens). RODENTIA. Arctomys caudatus. W . Arvicola stoliczkanus. W. A. himalayanus (=A. robustus). Lepus tibetanus. W . Sciurus europaus 1 E. Lepus oistolus (perhaps the same Mus crassipes 1 W. as the next). Arvicola blythi ( = Phaiomys Lepus pallipes. leucurus, Blyth). W . Lepus hypsibius. W . * Neither of these species is found, except as a straggler, on the north of the dividing range between Kashmir and Ladak. t It is more probably this species (which Gray, Cat. Carn. &c. M a m m. B. M . 1869, p. 184 has shown to be a Cuon) than the Indian C. rutilans which inhabits Tibet. |