512 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. 45. 



length, 244 mm.; zygomatic breadth, 140; mastoid breadth, 82.5; post- 

 orbital constriction, 41; interorbital constriction, 45.5; rostral 

 breadth over canine, 47; depth of braincase, crest excluded, 64.5; 

 palatal depth behind tooth row, 66; rostral depth behind canine, 36.1; 

 mandible, 190; maxillary tooth row, 107.5; mandibular tooth row, 

 122.5; upper carnassial, 25 by 14.2; first upper molar, 16 by 20.5; 

 lower carnassial, 27.9 by 10.7. 



VULPES VULPES TARIMENSIS Matschie. 



1908. Vulpes tarimensis Matschie, Wiss. Exp. Filcliner China uud Tibet, vol. 

 10, 1 teil, p. 166. 



The fox is said to be common in the desert mountains in the 

 vicinity of Tchegan-Burgazi Pass. Lyman saw one on the Mongolian 

 side, and we found two skeletons, from which the skulls were saved, 

 on the Siberian slopes. In the trading post at Kosh-Agatch were a 

 number of skins. We purchased a skin from Kalmuks which, from 

 their account, must have been collected near the site of our Tschornia 

 Creek camp, where we obtained the skulls 



The form represented is separable from the European Vulpes 

 vulpes by its peculiar color and the large, high audital buUse. The 

 general color of skins is a yello\vish-buff ; the face, top of head, and 

 an irregular dorsal stripe tawny-ochraceous; ears black outside. 

 The tail is quite grayish, in marked contrast to the color of the body. 

 The throat, upper breast, and stripe the entire length of ventral side, 

 slate color, mixed mth white and buff. This fox is apparently the 

 Vulpes tarimensis of Matschie, based on the Jlavescens of Blanford * 

 (not 'i Jlavescens Gray). Noack has already referred the Altai fox^ 

 to Vulpes Jlavescens Gray. Owing to the general confusion regarding 

 the foxes of central Asia, and to the uncertainty as to the origin of 

 the type oi Jlavescens, it seems best, at present, to follow Matschie 

 and treat the northern fox of the Jlavescens type as distinct. 



The Kalmuks call this fox '^dil-koo.'" 



Cranial and dental measurements of Vulpes vulpes tarimensis from the Tchegan-Burgazi 



Pass. 



175175. 

 Male ? ad. 



175176. 

 Male ? ad. 



Cond ylobasal length 



Zygomatic breadth 



Mastoid lireadth 



Interorbital breadth 



Rostral breadth over canines 



Palatal depth behind tooth row. 



Rostral depth behind canine 



Mandible 



Maxillary tooth row 



Mandiliular tooth ro'^' 



Upper carnassial 



First upper molar 



Lower carnassial 



mm. 

 137 

 73 

 47.1 

 26.3 

 22.9 

 34.7 

 16.7 

 106 

 65 

 71.7 

 6 by 7.8 

 by 12. 6 

 by 5.9 



1 Scientific Results of the Second Yarkand Mission, 1879, pp. 23-24. 

 « Zool. Anz., vol. 35, 1910, p. 457. 



47.7 

 26 



24' 



34.8 



16.8 



102.5 



62.5 



63.7 



13. 5 by 8.3 



A 5 by 12. 5 



16.4 by 6.5 



