18/1.] DR. J. ANDERSON ON RODENTS FROM YARKAND. 559 



of the foot, is inserted into the hase of the first phalanx of the fifth 

 digit, previously joining the common extensor tendon. 



This muscle has the same arrangement in the Dog, Caracal, and 

 Paradoxurus typus. It is a muscle not unfrequently found in the 

 human subject — seldom, however, in the complete form above de- 

 scribed, but as a tendinous offset from the peronseus brevis, and 

 usually described as the peronseus quinti. 



The interossei present no essential differences from those described 

 in the manus. The plantar are two in number, and arise from the 

 sheath of the peronseus longus and ectocuneiform bone. The dorsal 

 interossei are six in number, and arranged as in the hand. 



2. Notes on some Rodents from Yarkand. By John Ander- 

 son, M.D.jF.L.S.jF.Z.S., Curator of the Indian Museum, 



Calcutt a. 



[Received June 5, 1871.] 



Having lately received examples of Arctomys bobac, A. hemacha- 

 lanus, Lagomys curzonice, and Lepus tibetanus from the country tra- 

 velled over by the late Expedition to Yarkand, under Mr. Forsyth, 

 I propose to describe them and to record a few facts regarding them, 

 as they are species of rather rare occurrence and not very well re- 

 cognized. 



Arctomys bobac was figured and redescribed in 1841 by Hodg- 

 son * as a new species, and named A. himalayanus. Two years 

 afterwards he again described it, along with another form, A. hema- 

 chalanus, to which I shall presently refer, and spoke of the former 

 as the A. himalayanus of his Catalogue, but as " potius tibetanus 

 hodie. " In this account he says, "I cannot doubt that the above 

 two species are distinct." Horsfieldf in 1851 correctly referred A. 

 himalayanus to A. bobac, but, in a footnote, referred to Hodgson's 

 second paper, and made that naturalist describe an A. tibetanus 

 and A. himalayanus as distinct, which he had never done, these two 

 terms having been applied by him to one form, and the other, A. 

 hemachalanus, restricted to another species. Blyth, in his Cata- 

 logue of Mammalia J, includes these two species under A. bobac, and 

 states that he could not discriminate them in the skins aud skulls 

 before him, which is not remarkable, as these all belonged to typical 

 A, bobac. Adams §, however, was aware of two forms, but sepa- 

 rated A. himalayanus {tibetanus) from A. bobac ; and Dr. Jerdon || 

 mentions that he is inclined to accept them, as Hodgson insisted 

 on their distinction and because he had himself seen skins in Dar- 

 jeeling which inclined him to consider A. hemachalanus a distinct 



* Journ. As. Soc. x. p. 777 (cum fig.), ibid. xii. p. 409. 



t Catalogue of Mamra. in India-House Museum, Lond. p. 1(54. 



X Cat. of Mamm. in Museum of As. Soc. Beng., p. 108. 



§ Prac. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 528. 



i| Mammals of India, p. 182. 



