shoulders backwards there are spots and mottlings of a deep brown colour. 
In this respect it differs from the western form, Vormela peregusna. In this 
species the ground colour is brown, while the mottlings are of yellow. For 
this reason Mr. Miller gave this new species the specific name of negans. The 
Chinese call this animal Ma-nai-ho. I could not get the meaning of the first 
two words, local authorities disagreeing as to the proper characters to apply. 
All were agreed that the last syllable fo is that for monkey. This, doubtless, 
indicates a semi-arboreal life at least. Yii-lin Fu marks, as far as is at 
present known, the extreme eastern limit of the range of vormela. 
A couple of specimens of Meriones auceps were trapped by me amongst 
the sand-hills. This beautiful gerbil was first described by Mr. Thomas from 
specimens taken by Mr. Anderson in T’ai-yiian Fu. Another form also exists 
in the Ordos Desert and other parts of Mongolia, and is known as M. 
unguiculatus, The two species differ in colour and skull measurements, and 
also in their habits. M. auceps is strictly nocturnal, while M. unguiculatus is as 
purely diurnal. During my previous travels in the Ordos, I saw great 
numbers of the latter animal playing about the mouths of their burrows. 
These gerbils do not hibernate, and may be trapped even in the coldest 
weather. 
The pale desert chipmunk (Futamias asiaticus ordinalis), originally 
described from this locality, was secured. In size and form this chipmunk 
does not differ from the ordinary North China form, but it is paler and 
decidedly more yellow in colour. 
Foxes, wolves, badgers, and wild cats I knew to be in the district, but 
none were secured. Some antelopes were seen by two members of the 
expedition. The skins of these animals were very common in the fur shops 
in the city. The poor people use them in the manufacture of clothes. Not 
many species of birds were seen, but a heron, an eagle-owl, a woodpecker, and 
some pheasants were secured. 
On the sandy flats of the river there were large flocks of cranes, mallards, 
teal, and ruddy sheldrake. The last would allow of a close approach, so that 
an opportunity of tasting their coarse and oily flesh was afforded. A few 
small flocks of geese were seen on our arrival, but a few days later these had 
gone south. Black storks were also seen during the first part of our stay in 
the district. Magpies, crows, kites, pigeons, shrikes, and larks were the only 
land birds remaining as the severe North China winter closed down upon us. 
Before the streams which feed the river at this point froze over, I secured 
some specimens of fish and frogs, In all there were some five species, four of 
85 
