18/G.] MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON THE FAUNA OF TIBET. 033 



although much light has heen thrown upon the subject by Preje- 

 walski's explorations. 



Lately, when examining the collections brought by Dr. Stoliczka 

 from Western Tibet and Eastern Turkestan, I endeavoured to make a 

 list of the mammals known to inhabit the Tibetan plateau. The 

 list is naturally very imperfect ; but still, I think, it is of some value, 

 because it serves completely to dissipate the idea of there being 

 any thing in common between the fauna of Tibet and that of the 

 Himalayan-forest region or the Malay region. It is quite true that 

 a few forms such as Lagomys and Arvicola extend into the alpine 

 portion of the Himalayan region ; but this may be partly due to a 

 law of diffusion which is always found to prevail on the edge of two 

 different zoological provinces, if no impassable physical barrier inter- 

 venes. Moreover the Himalayan species are generally distinct from 

 the Tibetan ; and they may be members of a Boreal fauna to which 

 Cervus cashmeriensis and Ursus isabellinus * belong, and which is 

 well developed in Kashmir and may, I think, be traced throughout 

 the Himalayas. 



In the list which I append, W. is added to the names of all species 

 only known from Western Tibet, E. to those hitherto brought from 

 Eastern Tibet alone. 



LIST OF MAMMALIA KNOWN TO INHABIT THE 

 TIBETAN PLATEAU. 



Chiroptera. 

 Plecotus auritus. W. 

 Insectivora. 

 Sorex (Crocidurci) myoides. W. 

 Carnivora. 

 Felis uncia. Canis (Vulpes) ferrilatus. E. 



Felis manul. E. Canis (Cuon) alpinustl 



Felis isabellina. Martes toufieus. 



Canis laniger ( = C. chanco). Mvstela erminea. 



Canis niger (perhaps a variety of Mustela temon. 



the foregoing). Futorius larvatus. E. 



Canis (Vulj)es) montanus ( = C. Lulra, sp. W. 

 jiavescens) . 



Rodentia. 

 Arctomys caudatus. W. Arvicola stoliczhanus. W. 



A. himalayanus ( = A. robustus). Lepus tibetanus. W. 



Sciurus europceus ? E. Lepus oistolus (perhaps the same 

 Mus crassipes 1 W. as the next). 



Arvicola blythi ( = Phaiomys Lepus pallipes. 



leucurus, Blyth). W. Lepus hypsibius. W. 



* Neither of these species is found, except as a straggler, on the north of the 

 dividing range between Kashmir and Ladak. 



t It is more probably this species (which Gray, Cat. Cam. &c. Mamm. 



B. M. 1869, p. 184 has shown to be a Cuon) than the Indian C. rutilans which 

 inhabits Tibet. 



