402 Mr. 0. Thomas on 



Size rather largex- than in the Altai specimens of E. tancrei. 

 Fur very tine and soft ; hairs of back (March) about 

 7'8 mm. in length. Face darkening, well marked, slightly 

 more so than in E. tancrei. Butfy colour of upper surface 

 about as in E. tancrei, but its extent more restricted, con- 

 fined absolutely to the back, the line of demarcation passing 

 along high upon the sides. Sides and under surface broadly 

 washed with whitish, more strikingly contrasted than in 

 other species. Tail rather more prominent than usual, its 

 hairs blackish. 



Skull on the whole similar to that of E. tancrei, but larger 

 throughout, the zygomata more widely expanded. Inter- 

 parietal narrow, strap-shaped. Supraoecipital edge directly 

 transverse, not bowed forwards in centre. Anteorbital fora- 

 mina more open than in tancrei, the space between them 

 greater, and tlieir outer edges more slanted outwards. 



Incisors large and heavy, their points slightly less thrown 

 forwards than in E. tancrei. Molar series longer. M^ com- 

 plicated, as in E. tancrei, exceeding Biichner^s fig. 11 in 

 this respect. 



Dimensions of the type (measured in flesh) : — 



Head and body 13l'mm. ; tail 20; hind foot 23. 



Skull : condylo-basal length 33 ; coudylo-incisive length 

 35 ; zygomatic breadth 2^; nasals 8'7; interorbital breadth 

 5'6 ; interparietal 1'9 X 6 ; distance between outer corners of 

 anteorbital foramina 10*6; palatilar length 18*2; diastema 

 11'7 ; palatal foramina 4" 1 ; upper molar series, crowns 7'7, 

 alveoli 8'2. 



Type. Old female. B.M. no. 12. 4. 1. 13G. Original 

 number 23G. Collected 27th March, 1911. 



This fine Ellobius may be distinguished from its only close 

 ally, E. tancrei, by its size and the other characters given 

 above. Its locality is rather peculiar, as the Hami ilts. are 

 at the eastern end of the Thian Shan chain, which is elsewhere 

 inhabited by quite a different form, while tlie allied E. tancrei 

 occupies the western end of the widely separated Altai 

 chain. 



36. Ellobius avnosus, sp. n. 



cJ. 307, 308, 309, 310. Muzart Valley, Thian Shan. 

 800U'. 



A large species with niuday-coloured underside and 

 squared interparietal. 



Size large, alone exceeded — and that but slightly — by 

 E. alhicatus. Hairs of back about 8 mm. in length. General 

 colour above deep buffy; sides and under surface washed 



