A NEW CARNIVORE FROM CHINA. 



By Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., 

 Curator, Division of Mammals, U. S. National Museum. 



Among some mammals collected by Mr. Arthur de C. Sowerby in 

 northwestern China and the Ordos Deserl arc two skins of a spoiled 

 polecat readily distinguishable from the western Vormela pere- 

 gusna b by a peculiar inversion of the color pattern of hack. Regard- 

 ing the history of the specimens Mr. Sowerby writes: "The larger 

 skin was brought to me in a very poor condition. The skull was miss- 

 ing, as were also the leg hones, while the tail was torn in two. and 

 one eye was torn. I offered large rewards for a complete specimen, 

 but though several Mongols and Chinese were induced to enter the 

 Ordos in search of them, I obtained nothing more than a small dry 

 skin which accompanies the above-mentioned specimen. From 

 what I could gather the animal is not at all common. It frequents 

 spots where trees exist, and climbs freely. The Chinese 1 name 

 'Ma-nai-ho' would also signify this fact, the last syllable 'ho' mean- 

 ing monkey or ape. They are sometimes caughl in traps set for 

 foxes. Their skin, however, has no market value. They are very 

 savage when caught. The above facts were given and confirmed 

 repeatedly by natives who had traded in the Ordos." 



VORMELA NEGANS, new species. 

 Plate 17. 



Type-specimen. Adult male (skin only), Cat. No. 155001, U.S.N.M. 

 Taken by natives in the Ordos Deserl about K»o miles north of 

 Yu-ling-fu, Shensi, China. Original No. 92. 



a 1884. \V. Blasius, Ber. Naturf. Ges. Bemberg, vol. 13, p. it. Distinguished from 

 the true polecats by (lie presence of ; i well-developed metaconid in lower carnassial 

 and by the contacl of hamular process with audital bulla. 



''177(1. Peregusna, nova Mustelse specie.-, Guldenstaedt, Nov. Comm. Akad. Imp. 

 Petrop., vol. I 1, p. Ill I Banks of the River Don, southern Russia i. 



1771. Mustela sarmatica I'allas, Eteise Russ. Reiche, vol. L, append., p. 453 (near 

 mouth of the yblga, southern Russia 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 38— No. 1755. 

 Proc.N.M.vol.:is— 10 25 



