382 Mr. J. Scully on Mammals from Afghanistan. 



excluded by the length of the tail ; Middendorff gives the 

 length of tail in 8. Eversmanni as 4*2 inches, with terminal 

 hairs 5'5. Of the short-tailed subsection 8. citellus, 8. dauri- 

 cus, 8. guttatus, 8. xanthoprymnus, and 8. mongoUcus are 

 excluded for various but good and sufficient reasons, which to 

 enumerate would be long. The only likely species that 

 remains is 8. leptodactylus of Lichtenstein, and to it I was at 

 first disposed to refer the specimen collected by Captain Yate. 

 The position of Lichtenstein's species is, in the first place, 

 involved in doubt ; it was distinctly described as having the 

 hind feet haired below ; but, according to Brandt (Bull. Acad. 

 Sc. St. Petersburg, ii. p. 359), Eversmann proved to his 

 satisfaction that 8. leptodactylus was the same species as 8. 

 fulvus, which has the soles bare. However this may be, I 

 have carefully compared Lichtenstein's detailed description 

 of his Citillus leptodactylus (' Saugethiere,' tab. xxxii.) with 

 the specimen under notice, and can only come to the conclu- 

 sion that the latter is perfectly distinct, even if the question 

 of hair on the soles be left out of consideration. In describing 

 this species as new I have not overlooked Brandt^s caution 

 about the young of bare-soled sousliks having sometimes that 

 part tolerably well covered with hairs. 



1. ? , Khamiab, Afghan Turkestan, June 12. 



6. Gerhillus, sp. 



Head and body about 5'4 ; ear at front from orifice 0*6 ; 

 fore foot 0-38, with claws 0'45; hind foot 1-2, with claws 1-3. 

 Fur long, fine, and very soft. Bright rufous-brown or fawn- 

 colour above, many of the hairs black-tipped, the basal parts 

 of the hair leaden grey ; below the hairs white throughout 

 their length. Ears fairly well haired, fawn-coloured behind, 

 with a white margin, in front with scanty white hairs at the 

 margins ; whiskers white. Fore limbs white above and 

 below, the palms naked ; hind feet isabelline above, with 

 whitish hairs on the soles, including the toes, except part of 

 the hinder portion of the tarsus. The tail is imperfect ; but 

 its basal part for about 2' 5 inches is coloured like the back 

 above, and is slightly paler below. 



The upper incisors are well grooved, the enamel folds of 

 the upper molars are completely united in the middle, exactly 

 as in Q. hurrianoi, and the hinder molar has not a vestige of 

 any posterior talon — the outline of the crown as seen from 

 above being simply a narrow oval, with the points of the 

 oval buccal and palatine. The following are the principal 

 measurements of the skull : — 



