60 MKSSRS. DANFORU AND ALSTON ON [Feb. 3, 



[Arctomys, sp. ? D. & A, p. 278. 



Danford again failed to obtain an}' species of true Marmot, 

 either in the Taurus, where linsworth asserts their existence, or 

 elsewhere.] 



[tCASTOR FIBER, Linn. 



Very trustworthy authorities at Kaisariyeh told Danford that in 

 the marshes between that place and Indjesu there existed an animal 

 like an Otter, but which had a broad hairless tail. This description 

 points pretty directly to the Beaver, an animal which still exists in 

 the Euphrates near Aleppo', and in the rivers of the Caucasus-. 

 The species is included in Smarda's list of the Mammals of Meso- 

 potamia^ and, though "with some doubt," in Mr. Blanford's Fauna 

 of Persia "*.] 



32. *Myoxus dryas (Schreb.). D. & A., no. 28. 



33. *tGERBiLLTJS ERYTHRXJRUS, Gray. 



A Gerbille was obtained from the stony hill-sides at Kaisariyeh, 

 where the species is reported to be common. It agrees with Gray's 

 types (though not with his description*) and with Major St. John's 

 South-Persian specimens*, now in the British Museum, in all essen- 

 tials, but is of a darker and richer rufous above ; the lower parts are 

 strongly tinged with yellow ; and the elongated hairs on the upper 

 surface of the tip of the tail are rather brown than blackish. The 

 measurements of this specimen, an adult male preserved in spirits, 



are as follows : — 



inches. 



Length of head and body 5"2;"> 



„ tail 575 



,, ear '70 



„ hind foot 1 "3.5 



The skull is unfortunately much shattered ; and the molars are 

 so worn that their pattern is somewhat indistinct. We do not feel 

 any doubt, however, of the identity of the specimen with this sj)ecies, 

 whose range -appears to extend from Afghanistan, through Southern 

 Persia, to Asia Minor. 



34. Cricetus frumentarius. Pall. D. & A., no. 33. 



35. *Cricetus nigricans, Brandt. D. & A., no. 34. 



[? Cricetus accedula (Pall.). D. & A., no. 35. 



In our first list we introduced this species on the faith of the re- 

 port on one of Dickson and Ross's collections from Erzeroom, where 

 the house-haunting Hamster of Asia INIinor is identified as C. acce- 

 chila''. The examination of a large series now proves, however, that 



' Travels of Dr. and Mme. Heifer (English ed., 1879), i. p. 221. 



^ Eichwald, Ivouv. Mem. Soc. Nat. Mosc. vii. p. 36. 



3 G-eogr. Verbr. der Thiere, p. 408. •* East. Per.sia, ii. p. .51. 



' Ann. Mag. Nat. Hi.st.x. p. 206 (1842, descr. orig.). 



« Cf. Blanford, East. Persia, ii. p.'70. '> P. Z. S. 1S.S9, p. 122. 



