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On some new Forms of Ochotona. ] 
XVIUL—On some new Forms of Ochotona. 
By Ouprietp THOMAS. 
(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 
WHILE working out the Pikas obtained by Dr. Wollaston on 
Mt. Everest, the following new forms of the genus have been 
noted, and may be now described. 
hese animals are. of unusual difficulty owing to their 
great and almost continuous changes of pelage, so that for a 
satisfactory knowledge of any species, even from a single 
locality, quite a number of specimens are needed—ranging in 
date at least from May to September, during which period 
most of the seasonal change takes place. Once in the winter 
pelage, no further change occurs until the following May. 
Ochotona nubrica, sp. n. 
A small species of the roylei group. 
General colour of the specimens available about as in early 
summer specimens of O. roylet wardi, or rather paler grey. 
Fur not very long, hats of back in a summer skin ont 
12-13 mm. in length. Face, nape, and shoulders grey, with 
a slight fulvous tinge; hind’ Backeleanen grey, the rump 
Bet more drabby. No evidence that a rufous mantle is 
acquired in the late summer, as it is in royled. Under surface, 
as usual, with the hairs dark slaty at base, whitish terminally. 
Har- -patehes dull buffy whitish, not very large or conspicuous. 
Area below ears buffy. Ears of moderate size, blackish 
behind, with white edges. 
Skull decidedly smaller than that of O. ward7, and narrower 
in proportion, the breadth across the brain-case much css 
than in roylet or its Kashmir representative wardi, and still 
more so than in macrotis. Palatal foramina very widely 
expanded in their posterior half, much more so than in the 
other species. Bulle small and looking narrow, owing to 
their being apparently more vertically placed, like a dise 
nearly on edge. 
Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh) :— 
Head and body 184 mm.; hind foot 33; ear 21. 
Skull: greatest length 42 ; condy lo-incisive length 39; 
zygomatic breadth 19° 5: ; nasals 14°3 x4: 7; interorbital breacath 
4°2 ; breadth across brain-case 15:4. ; palatal foramina 10°5 Xx 
4°6 ; - palatal bridge 2°4 ; antero- -posterior length of bulla 10. 
Hab. Ladak, along the Nubra Valley, down to the P ang- 
Kong Lake. Type from Tugeur, Nubra Valley, alt. 10,000’. 
