1?08 Dr. T. Horsfield on some new or little-known 



lips, head and neck inferiorly, and a dorsal and ventral stripe, 

 yellowish-white or pale aureous. 



Remark, — Is a fourth larger than the Kathia or auriventer, 

 and differs from it by the dorsal stripe and also by the ventral, 

 the latter in the Kathia being much wider and its colour richer. 



Hab. Sikim (Hodgson MS.). 



The specimen sent to the Museum agrees generally with this 

 description ; the brown colour has a shade of chestnut, and the 

 under part of the head, neck and breast are nearly white, with a 

 slight isabelline discoloration *. 



24. Meles leucurus, Hodgson. 



Taxidea leucurus, Hodgs. J. A. S. xvi. 

 Tumphd of the Tibetans. 

 Tibetan Badger. 



This interesting animal was first brought to the notice of Mr. 

 Hodgson by the receipt of a specimen from the neighbourhood 

 of Lassa, and a very copious description of it is given in 

 vol. xvi. of the Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., with a figure of the 

 animal, and details of its skull and feet comparative with 

 the allied quadrupeds. A specimen in a tolerable state of pre- 

 servation, with a separate skull quite perfect, has been presented 

 to the Museum. The comparison of this skull with one of the 

 European Badger has afforded the means of determining its 

 true generic character. The result of the examination made by 

 Dr. J. E. Gray, which illustrates this point, is given in a short 

 notice published in vol. xii. of the Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. N. S. 

 xii. 221 1. 



The specimen sent agrees generally with Mr. Hodgson^s 



* See also description by Dr. Gray in Proc. Zool. Soe. 1853, p. 191. 

 t The Tibetan Badger of Hodgson. 



" Mr. Hodgson having sent to the India House a specimen with its skull 

 of his Taxidea leucurus (Journ. Asiat. Soc. xvi. 763, 1847), I have com- 

 pared the skull with that of the various Badgers in the Brit. Mus. Collec- 

 tion. I find all the Old-World Badgers (Meles) have a moderate-sized 

 triangular flesh-tooth, and a very large four-sided oblong tuberculous 

 grinder in the upper jaw, which is rather longer than broad, and the skull 

 is rounded behind. The nose of the Tibetan Badger or Tumpha, Meles 

 leucurus, is rather more tapering and more compressed than that of the 

 European Badger (Meles Taxus), which it most resembles. The Japanese 

 Badger (Meles Auakuma) differs from both in having a much shorter skull 

 and a short, rather broad nose. 



'* The American Badgers (Taxidce, Waterh.) have a very large triangular 

 flesh-tooth, and an equally triangular tubercular grinder in the upper jaw 

 not exceeding the flesh-tooth in size. The skull is also much broader, 

 more depressed and truncated behind. Of this genus I only know a single 

 species, T. Labradoria." — J. E. Gray, Ann. Nat. Hist. N. S. xii. 221. See 

 also Proc. Zool. Soc. 1853, p. 191. 



