58 DE. J. E. T. AITCHISON ON THE ZOOLOGY OF 



morghab, and is without a skull. It is therefore almost impossible to decide for 

 certain to which of several nearly allied races of Foxes it should be referred. 



5. Vtjlpes famelica, Riippell. 



a. Skin and skull. Between Kushk-rud and Kin, November 3, 1884. 



Tbe discovery of the Egyptian Fox in Afghanistan is of some interest, as it confirms 

 Mr. Blanford's determination of the Bushire Fox, in his work on Persia *, and at the 

 same time extends the known range of the species to a very considerable extent. The 

 skin obtained by Dr. Aitchison agrees in every respect with Riippelt's description t, 

 and I have little hesitation in referring it to V. famelica, although it is just possible 

 that a direct comparison of the skulls of the two forms might show them to be distinct. 



[Foxes (local name Roba) were commonly seen all over the route traversed. On the 

 Helmand they were most numerous, and there get the credit of disturbing graves to such 

 an extent that the relatives have to place various objects on them to frighten off these 

 pests by their noise or motion. Sometimes smouldering fires are even kept up for the 

 same purpose. — J. E. T. A.] 



6. PUTOMTTS SARMATICUS, Pallas. 

 a. Skull. Gulran. 



Capt. Hutton (J. A. S. B. xiv. p. 346, 1845) has given an excellent account of the 

 habits of the Mottled Polecat, as observed by him at Kandahar. 



[TJkstjs, sp. 



Blanford, torn. cit. p. 47. 



At Bala-morghab several persons who lived between that and Maimana told me 

 that in the hills between these two places are to be got two kinds of Bears, one red 

 (called locally " Khirsa ") and one black (called " Kul "). I saw no skins, nor could I 

 obtain any.— J. E. T. A.] 



7. Erinaceus albulus, Stoliczka. 



a. Tirphul, 7/4/85. b. Bala-morghab. c. No history. 



This species was hitherto only known from Yarkand, where several specimens were 

 obtained by the two Indian Yarkand Expeditions (cf. Blanford, 2nd Yark. Miss., Mamm. 

 p. 14, 1879). a is an excellent specimen, in spirit, caught alive by Dr. Aitchison ; b and 

 c are dried and headless skins, and were picked up in their present state. 



[A Hedgehog seems to be very common over the whole Badghis, for pieces of the 

 spine, bearing portions of the skin, were daily picked up. I, however, only succeeded 

 in getting one live specimen, an adult. The local names are " Ehar-pusht-ak " and 

 "Khal-posh."—J. E. T. A.] 



* Zool. Geol. Eastern Persia, ii. p. 41 (1876). See also Sclater, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 420. 

 t Atlas, Zool. pi. v. p. 15 (1826). 



