OCR Text |
Show 196 ON MAMMALS FROM TURKESTAN AND TIBET. [Mar. 6, 4. On a small Collection of Mammals obtained by Captain Deasy in South Chinese Turkestan and Western Tibet. By CL E. H. BARRETT-HAMILTON, F.Z.S. [Received March 2,1900.] The small collection of mammals which is dealt with in the present paper includes only 16 specimens of 5 species, all rodents. These are, however, of considerable interest, since, apart from the localities in which they were procured, two of them, a Vole and a Jerboa, which I have named respectively Microtus lama and Dipus deasgi, belong to hitherto undescribed forms. A third is the extraordinary Euchoreutes naso, described by Mr. W . L. Sclater in 1890 from specimens obtained by the Hon. Charles Ellis somewhere in Eastern Turkestan. The acquisition of examples of this species (and genus) adds a valuable novelty to the collection of mammals in the British Museum, whither Capt. Deasy's specimens have found their way. The following is a list of the specimens:- MERIONES CRYPTORHINUS Blanford, J. A. S. Bengal, ii. p. 108 (1875). No. 99.11.5.1. o* • Kara Sai, Chinese Turkestan, 9th July, 1898, altitude 9500 ft. MICROTUS (ALTICOLA) LAMA, sp. nov. a & /3. No. 97.1.21.3 & 4. 25 miles south-east of Lake Arucho W . Tibet, altitude 16,000 ft., August 1897. y. No. 99. 11.5.2, "Camp, 1898," Chinese Turkestan, altitude 17,800 ft., August 8th, 1898. Native name, " Such Kun." Type, no. 97.1.21.3. Description. External characters similar to those of M. stracheyi Thos., but with the teeth and posterior termination of the palate very like_thoseof 31. roylei Ogilvie. Agrees with 31. albicauda True in that m. i has 8 salient angles, but has the tail far shorter. Dimensions of the type (in millim.) -.-Dried skin. Head and body 115 ; tail 12 ; hind foot with claws 19'5 ; hind foot without claws 8 ; ear 11. Skull (damaged posteriorly)-zygomatic breadth 14-5 ; length of nasals 8"5; palatal length 14-5 (from posterior termination of palate to anterior margin of incisors). The specimen y appears to be the young of this form. DIPUS DEASYI, sp. nov. Type. No. 99.11.5.3. $, Nura, Chinese Turkestan, 7500 ft 6th October, 1898 (original number 73). Description. In external appearance resembles D. loftusi Blanford but the colour of the upper surface is richer and not so brown • |