In colour it is greyer than the three-toed jerboa, and it is a larger animal. 

 The " allactaga " is not so essentially a sand-inhabiting animal as the jerboa. 

 The present species differs from Allactaga mongolica in having appreciably longer 

 ears, longer feet, and a slightly different skull. 



After leaving this locality, bats v^^ere seen for the first time on the expedi- 

 tions, and between here and Yen-an Fu in Shensi several specimens of a 

 large brown bat (Eptesicus serotinus pallens) and a single specimen of a very small 

 bat {Pipistrellus sp.) were shot. The large bat has been described by Mr. Miller 

 as a new subspecies. 



From Ching-ning Chou eastward the country was much more favourable 

 for collecting. There were plenty of vegetation and water so that we were 

 able to do good work considering the rate at which we were travelling. Grant 

 and I devoted our attention to entomology as we travelled, and made large 

 collections of butterflies and dragon-flies. Frogs were also secured from the 

 streams, besides some more fresh -water crabs and some snakes. Two varieties 

 of kingfisher were shot. One was a large handsome bird named Halycon 

 pileatus and the other a small brilliant little fellow named Alcedo ispida. This 

 species resembles the British form but is smaller. 



We saw more roedeer; and specimens, in their red summer pelts, were 

 obtained. 



Two day's journey south of Yen-an Fu a mud turtle {Tnonyx sinensis), 

 (Plate 54), was shot. As we travelled along beside the river we saw great 

 numbers of these ugly creatures basking in the sun on the mud flats. On our 

 approach they made for the water and were lost to view before we were in 

 shot-gun range. Looking at them through a powerful pair of field-glasses, 

 we could see every head pointed in our direction. 



On August the 21st we reached the spot, south of Yen-an Fu, where I had 

 collected the previous winter. Here some more roedeer were obtained and I 

 was fortunate enough to put up and shoot a large wild boar {Sus moupinensis) . 

 (Plate 53). Rising early in the morning I made my way up a long loess ridge 

 where I had seen pig-rootings the previous evenings. I was accompanied by 

 a native and we tramped a long way without seeing anything. Just as I was 

 about to return to camp, there was a hoarse roar in some dense scrub on the 

 left, and a huge pig broke cover and scampered off tossing his head in a 

 vindictive manner. I caught a glimpse of his wicked little eye glaring at us as 

 he tore his way through the dense scrub. I tried to draw a bead on him, but 

 his course was too erratic and the abrupt way in which he had appeared upon 

 the scene had somewhat disconcerted me. Presently however he stopped to 



93 



