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Show 450 MR. R. SWINHOE ON CHINESE Z O O L O G Y . [June 9, the light-rufous hairs of the upper parts the same colour throughout, and only occasionally tipped with black. The ear at the hack has only an apical margin of black ; and the animal answers to Water-house's description of L. tolai (Mammalia, vol. ii. p. 48). A third ( ? ) is paler, duller, and more dingy throughout than the last, with very little rufous, and its back is more mottled with black ; but its apical ear-patch is as conspicuous as in the first. All three are from the same locality, and it cannot be doubted are of the same species; yet they vary so much in coloration. Their skulls, moreover, are of nearly similar form. I have only fallen across two other mammals (not to speak of Bats) in North China not alluded to in this paper ; and these are a Hedgehog and a Mole, which I procured when with the troops at Peking in I860. I sent a specimen of each to this Society, and they were presented to the British Museum. Dr. Gray pointed out that the Mole was a new species, but did not assign it a name (P. Z. S. 1861, p. 390). Some years after, the Abbe David sent the Mole to Paris, and M . A. Milne-Edwards has described it as Scaptochirus moschatus. The Hedgehog Dr. Gray considered to be Erinaeeus collaris (Gray) of South India ; but it seems to me to be distinct from any thing yet described. Erinaeeus dealbatus, sp. n. from Peking. About the size of E. europceus, its nearest ally ; much paler ; spines shorter and thinner, and all setting backwards, pale brown, whitish at bases and tips ; ears shorter, narrower, and more hidden ; hair of underparts shorter, of a whitey-brown colour, with rufescent down at roots; face whitey brown, with brown ears (no black on the muzzle and round eyes as in E. europceus); feet small, pale brownish (and not black), with horn-coloured short claws. The skull, which is that of an adult, shows a shorter muzzle; the molars in both jaws are comparatively smaller ; the fronto-parietal suture occurs much further back; the frontal bones are longer and flatter, and the orbital prominence further back; the molar slopes gradually backwards, making a much less angle at its junction with the temporal. The skull is too injured to enable me to give measurements; but enough remains to show that it is distinct from that of E. europceus, with three of which I have compared it. W e left Chefoo by steamer on the night of the 17th October. The 18th was calm and fine ; and the following birds appeared about the ship :-I Asio br achy otus, 1 Skylark, 2 Emberizce personatce, 1 Calliope, 1 Ianthia cyanura, 1 Ruticilla aurorea, 1 Coccothraustes vulgaris, 1 Butalis cinereo-alba, 1 Pied Wagtail, and a Thrush. The last, while following the vessel, fell exhausted into the sea. Four male Gold-crests came into the ship, and were so tame that they were easily caught. Bill deep blackish brown; legs yellowish brown, with much lighter toes. In the older birds the shanks are deeper-coloured, and the toes light orange-brown with an orange-yellow wash on soles, the plumage brightens, and the yellowish green on the back mounts higher up. We were within 100 miles of the Shantung coast, which was our nearest land ; and it is reasonable to |
