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Show 60 MESSRS. DANFORD AND ALSTON ON [Feb. 3, [ARCTOMYS, sp. ? D. & A, p. 278. Danford again failed to obtain any species of true Marmot, either in the Taurus, where \insworth asserts their existence, or elsewhere.] [fCASTOR FIBER, Linn. Very trustworthy authorities at Kaisariyeh told Danford that in the marshes between that place and Indjesu there existed an animal like an Otter, but which had a broad hairless tail. This description points pretty directly to the Beaver, an animal which still exists in the Euphrates near Aleppo1, and in the rivers of the Caucasus". The species is included in Smarda's list of the Mammals of Mesopotamia3, and, though " with some doubt," in Mr. Blanford's Fauna of Persia4.] 32. *MYOXUS DRYAS (Schreb.). D. & A., no. 28. 33. *tGERBILLUS ERYTHRURUS, Gray. A Gerbille was obtained from the stony hill-sides at Kaisariyeh, where the species is reported to be common. It agrees with Gray's types (though not with his description5) and with Major St. John's South-Persian specimens6, now in the British Museum, in all essentials, but is of a darker and richer rufous above ; the lower parts are strongly tinged with yellow; and the elongated hairs on the upper surface of the tip of the tail are rather brown than blackish. The measurements of this specimen, an adult male preserved in spirits, are as follows :- inches. Length of head and body 5*25 „ tail 5*75 ,, ear *70 ,, hind foot ] -3.5 The skull is unfortunately much shattered; and the molars are so worn that their pattern is somewhat indistinct. W e do not feel any doubt, however, of the identity of the specimen with this species, whose range appears to extend from Afghanistan, through Southern Persia, to Asia Minor. 34. CRICETUS FRUMENTARIUS, Pall. D. & A., no. 33. 35. *CRICETUS NIGRICANS, Brandt. D. & A., no. 34. [? CRICETUS ACCEDULA (Pall.). D. & A., no. 35. In our first list we introduced this species on the faith of the report on one of Dickson and Ross's collections from Erzeroom, where the house-haunting Hamster of Asia Minor is identified as C. accedula1. The examination of a large series now [troves, however, that 1 Travels of Dr. and Mme. Heifer (English ed., 1.879), i. p#221. 2 Eichwald, Nouv. Mem. Soc. Nat. Mosc. vii. p. 36. 3 Geogr. Verbr. der Thiere, p. 408. 4 East. Persia, ii. p. 51. 5 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.x. p. 266 (1842, descr. orig.). 6 Cf. Blanford, East. Persia, ii. p."70. i P.Z. S. 1839, p. 122. |