shoulders backwards there are spots and motthngs 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 ho 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 e.xists 

 in the Ordos Desert and other parts of Mongolia, and is known as M. 

 mguiculatus. The two species differ in colour and skull measurements, and 

 also in their habits. M. auceps is strictly nocturnal, while M. mguiculatus 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 (Eutamias 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. 



Fo.xes, 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 



6S 



