1877. THE MAMMALS OF ASIA MINOR. 277 
Taurus, preferring the barer districts of the north. Herr Kotschy, 
otherwise so accurate in his observations, must have been misled into 
stating that ten to twenty Wild Sheep are killed yearly at Gullek, as 
at that place, which is situated on the south side of the Bulga Dagh, 
we were assured that the species is not found. 
Specimens were obtained from the district of Eregli, where they 
are common, and frequent the salt-licks in large flocks. Winter is 
the easiest time of the year to get at them, the deep snow which 
generally covers that part of the country impeding their movements. 
At other times they are shy, and, owing to the scarcity of cover, 
very difficult to approach. The severe winter of 1873-74, which 
was so fatal to the tame breeds of Sheep, also destroyed a great 
number of the wild species. . 
Gmelin’s Sheep is a very graceful animal, deer-like in its appear- 
ance, having long fine limbs, and in the male a thick bushy throat. 
The general colours of specimens procured in the middle of March 
are :— 
gd 4-5 years old. Head, neck, back, and sides, russet-yellow ; 
belly and underparts of legs white; space before the eye, nose, 
chin, and undersides of the ears whitish; a dark purple-brown 
mark above the knee on the fore legs, and a darkish line on the 
chest ; the ridge of the neck and back somewhat darker than the 
rest of the back; neck thick and bushy. 
Total length 53 inches, tail 5 inches, ear 4°25 inches, height at 
shoulder 33 inches. 
22 years (by mark of mouth). Colour the sameas in the male, 
but markings less decided. No bushy neck and no horns, 
Total length 48 inches, height at shoulder 22°5. 
Sir V. Brooke considers that the above-mentioned individuals are 
not sufficiently old to show the typical markings, specimens which 
he has received from Ararat being much ruddier and having a white 
saddle-mark. He also expresses his surprise at the female being 
without horns. 
26. *Sciurus sYRIACUS, Hempr. & Ehr. Dereek, Kallay. 
Generally common, especially among the oak- and beech-woods of 
the lower mountains. ‘This Squirrel is very abundant in Noythern 
Palestine ; but its range does not appear to extend to the Caucasus, 
where S. vulgaris, Linn., is stated by Eichwald to abound. S. 
fulvus, Blanf., from Persia, is closely allied to the present species, 
27. *SPERMOPHILUS XANTHOPRYMNUS (Bennett), 
Exceedingly common through the whole of the steppe country of 
the interior through which Danford passed, the ground being in 
some districts perfectly honeycombed with their holes, They have 
a loud sharp whistle, and are very much on the alert, seldom stray- 
ing far from their burrows. It is doubtless to this animal that Mr. 
Curzon refers under the name of “ Lemming.” 
The Souslik of Asia Minor was described by Mr. Bennett under 
the name of Créellus xanthoprymnus, from a specimen sent to this 
