Vol. XXV, pp. 181-184 December 24, 1912 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



FIVE NEW MAMMALS FROM ASIA. 



BY X. HOLLISTER. 



At * W* 



The following new forms of mammals have been found in the 

 Asiatic collections in the United States National Museum dur- 

 ing progress of work in determining a collection from the Altai 

 Mountains. The descriptions are published here by permission 

 of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Lepus aurigineus sp. nov. 



Typt from Chiu Keang, northern Iviang-si, China. United States 

 National .Museum No. jHHj skin and skull of $ adult. Collected 

 December 27, 1880. 



General characters. — Externally much like Lepus sinensis, but more 

 yellowish, less mottled with blackish; sides almost pure unmottled yel- 

 lowish-buff. Skull with much broader and shorter nasals. 



( 'olor of i ape. — General color of upperparts yellowish-burl', mottled with 

 brownish-black; darkest on head ami lower hack. Cheeks in front of 

 whiskers, spot before eye, and eye ring, cream burl'. Back of ears, out- 

 side, bully brown, exactly the color of top of head, with butt' bonier; inside 

 of back of ears ochraceous; lining of ears cinnamon-ochraceous ; tip 

 black. Nape pale cinnamon; sides of body pale yellowish-buff. Legs 

 outside and chest-band pale cinnamon; rest of underparts, including 

 inner sides of leys, pure white, the hairs clear white to base. 



Skull. — Differs from the skull of Lepus sinensis in being shorter; and 

 ill having greater interorbital breadth, much shorter and broader nasals, 

 and heavier supraorbital processes. 



Measurements from well shaped dry skin of type. — Length of head and 

 body, 390 rnm. ; hind foot, L03. The specimen is marked by collector, 

 "head to tail, 20 inches." Skull of type.— Greatest length, 7(5; zygo- 

 matic breadth, 39; greatest length nasals, 32.3; mesal length nasals, 

 22.2; greatest breadth nasals, 20;. least breadth nasals, 12.4; least inter- 

 orbital breadth, 17.1; length of upper tooth row, alveoli, 14. li. 



Remarks. — The superficial resemblance of this hare to a specimen of 



34— Proo. Biol. Sog, Wash., Vol. XXV, 1912. (181) 



