only vole hitherto recorded in North Shensi. It differs from the 
other voles already mentioned in being smaller and of a rich reddish brown 
colour. It is trapped usually amongst the dead leaves, or on mossy banks at 
the bottom of loess ravines in well vegetated country. Some more wood-mice 
and David's squirrels were also secured here, besides a fine specimen of the 
hare. David’s squirrel (Sciurotamias davidianus), (Plate 49), is a rock-inhabiting 
species. It is about the size of the common European red squirrel. Its fur is 
of a dull earth-brown colour above and creamy beneath. The ears are not 
tufted, though the tail is very bushy. Like the chipmunk it possesses cheek 
pouches. It also resembles the chipmunk in its habits and mode of life, 
except that it does not hibernate. This squirrel enjoys a very wide range 
being recorded from the mountains near Peking, from various places in 
Shansi, Shensi and Kansu and also from Ssiich’uan. 
Birds were more plentiful in this district. Some specimens of the 
beautiful blue magpie (Urocissa sinensis) were secured and Azure - winged 
magpies (Cyanopolius cyanus) were also plentiful, springing my traps and 
making themselves generally disagreeable. A pretty timeline (Pomatorhinus 
gravivox) was also very common. The country was teeming with pheasants 
and I saw the tracks of wild pigs, wolves and leopards. 
This country had not been under cultivation since the great famine of 
1877-79 when parts of North China were terribly depopulated. As a result in 
this and many other localities the mountains, hills and valleys have’ become 
scrub-covered and even well wooded. Good cover for game and wild animals 
of all kinds is thus afforded. It is possible that many species owe their 
existence in North China to-day to these periodical famines, which check the 
ever increasing human population. Where conditions are favourable to 
cultivation in North China, it is extremely difficult for the naturalist to find 
suitable collecting grounds. Every foot of land is utilised. It is only in such 
spots as these whence man has been driven out, and which have lain fallow 
for a generation or so, or in places like the Chiao-ch’éng Shan, precipitous, 
rocky and cold, that one finds animals at all plentiful. 
After a week’s stay in this country I returned to Yen-an Fu. Here I 
secured a nice specimen of the spotted wild-cat (Felis chinensis) and another 
of the large marten (Martes flavigula borealis). Both of these animals were 
said to be fairly common in the district though very hard to secure. 
Nothing in the way of reptiles, batrachians or fishes was secured, but a 
new and interesting flea was taken from one of the roedeer. The female of 
this flea was found in large numbers in the nostrils of the deer, The insects were 
88 
