NOTES ON SMALL MAMMALS IN KASHMIR. 350 



Mus arianus (the Persian Long-tailed Field-mouse) has Dp to 

 date been only found at considerable elevations, where it burrows in 

 the grassy slopes, and is partial to places where sheep have been 

 folded in the summer. This little rodent is very hard to trap, and 

 seems to be found in small colonies only. 



Mus sublimis (the Upland Mouse) may possibly be the common 

 mouse of Ladak, but whether the mice which have been collected in 

 Western Tibet, and the extreme northern parts of Ladak belong to 

 this species I cannot say, and as usual I shall hereafter look to 

 Mr. Bonhote for his kind aid. 



I fully expect to find other mice, probably Mus l&ggada, naturally 

 some form of Miisculus, and most likely new species ; what is wanted 

 -is a general collection of these animals from all the remoter districts : 

 these should be labelled with accurate data and measurements. 



I scarcely like to touch on the Voles. Up to date I have only been 

 able to send you Microtus brachelix and M. stracheyi. I have speci- 

 mens provisionally labelled fertilis. Mr. Bonhote tells me brachelix 

 s.n& fertilis are closely allied. We look to do a good deal amongst the 

 Voles but many specimens are required, and America is ahead of us in 

 possessing them. I can only promise that you shall have what I can 

 send from time to time as soon as the British Museum has autho- 

 ritatively named them. I have a letter from Mr. Thomas in which he 

 most kindy offers to help in this respect. 



Next in interest come the Mouse hares. The Bombay Natural 

 History Society have specimens of a new species ; those 1 first sent 

 were provisionally labelled as Royles vole (Lagomys roylei) but have now 

 been named wardi. The papers thereon are not yet through the press. 

 Mr, Bonhote has sent me a list of mouse hares, and amongst these we 

 have found L. curzonice at Hanle, Ladak, at an elevation of about 

 13,500', and ladacensis (provisionally named) in Western Tibet, and also 

 in the Changchenmo Valley. 



To turn to the list which is purely tentative, we may look for 

 erythrotus and rutilas described as closely allied. L. ladacensis and 

 ozotona which may be bracketted together for the present ; Uoslowi 

 from Southern Tibet ; curzonice and its ally melanostomus from Tibet ; 

 hodgsoni from Ladak ; and auritus which may be the same as griseus 

 (Bonhote) ; whilst macrotis and auritus (Blanford) are said to bo 

 identical. 



