388 SC1UEIDJE. 



Habits. This is said to be chiefly a ground squirrel, and Blyth 

 doubts if it ever ascends trees. Probably, however, its habits are 

 not unlike those of S. pdlmarum. It is said to be found about 

 cultivation. 



Subfamily ARCTOMYIN^. 



The marmots, of which this subfamily is composed, are Palaearctic 

 and Nearctic, and comprise three genera, Arctomys, Spermophilus, 

 and Cynomys. Only the first of these, distinguished from the 

 others by the want of cheek-pouches, is represented in the 

 Himalayas within our limits. All the members of this subfamily 

 are burrowers, and live in holes in the ground. Some inhabit 

 mountains, others open plains. 



Genus ARCTOMYS, Schreber (1792). 



Form stout, tail short or moderate, ears very small. Thumb 

 rudimentary. 



Dentition: i. |, pm. ^,10.33^, as in Sciunis. Incisors not 

 compressed. Anterior upper premolar larger than in squirrels, but 

 still much smaller than the second ; molars broad. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



Tail less than % head and body ; colour greyish. A. himalayanus, p. 388. 

 Tail about ^ head and body ; colour greyish . . A. Jiodgsoni, p. 389. 

 Tail fully -I- head and body ; colour yellow . . A. caudatus, p. 390. 



259. Arctomys himalayanus. The Tibet Marmot. 



Arctomys himalayanus, Hodgson, J. A. S. B. x, p. 777, plate (1841), 

 xi, p. 287 ; (" potitis tibetensis hodie '') xii, p. 409 ; Blanford, 

 J, A. S. B. xliv, pt. 2, p. 121 ; id. Yarkand Miss., Mam., p. 36, 

 pis. xii, xii a ; Lydekker, J. A. S. B. xlix, pt. 2, p. 7 ; Biichner, Prze- 

 u-alsU Reis., Saugeth. p. 25. 



Arctomys bobac, Gray, List Mam. B. M. 1843, p. 148, partim; 

 Blyth, Cat. p. 108, partim ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 181, partim ; Stoltczka, 

 J. A. S. B. xxxiv, p. Ill ; Anderson, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 5CO. 

 Arctomys tibetanus, Adams, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 521. 

 Erin, .Kashmir; Pff, Niti ; Kadia-piu, Phya, Tibetan; CJiibi, Bhotia 

 of Sikhim. 



Tail about | the length of the head and body. Six pairs of 

 mammae, extending from the axil to the groin. 



Colour of body and limbs pale tawny, much mixed with black on 

 the upper parts ; basal half of fur (basal third on belly) dark brown, 

 terminal half pale fulvous, with black tips on the upper parts ; 

 face and terminal third of tail dark brown ; cheeks sometimes 

 rufescent. 



