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BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY'S 

 MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA, BURMA, AND CEYLON. 



Report No. 32, Baluchistan. 



By R. 0. Wroughton, F.Z.S. 



Collection 



Locality 



Date 



Collected By ... 



Eabliek, Reports : — 



No. 32. 

 Baluchistan. 



January 1916 to July 1918. 

 Col. J. B. B. Hotson. 

 For previous reports, see, Vol. XXVI., 

 p. 1025, 1920. 



This fine Collection was made by Col. J, E. B. Hotson (assisted 

 to some extent by the Society's Taxidermist, N. A. Baptista) in 

 British Baluchistan. 



This area is not strictly part of " India " proper either geographi- 

 cally or zoologically but as the collection completes the linking up 

 of the Indian with the West Asian (Persian, Arabian, &c.) fauna, 

 already foreshadowed in the Sind Collection (No. 24) it deserves a 

 place in the Survej^. 



Broadly the eastern half of British Baluchistan, made up to a 

 great extent, of part of the Khalat State and the Las Beyla State. 

 Its principal feature is the Central Brahui and Pab Ranges, running- 

 North and South, and forming a central ridge. The western half 

 may be again subdivided into a northern and southern half, the 

 latter the Mekran, from the sea to the Siahan Mountain Range, 

 with several lesser parallel ranges between. The country north of 

 the Siahan Range is understood to be for the most part uninhabit- 

 ed desert and is not represented in this Collection. 



Four of the eight forms of bat obtained are Sind species but 

 have not so far been taken further south in India. Among the 

 Insectivora, both species of Hedgehog and the Crocidura belong- 

 to the frontier. The panther is of course found throughout India, 

 and so is the Wolf (C. pallipes). The Mongoose is identical with 

 the Sind form, as also probably is the Jackal. The Mottled 

 Polecat (F. peregusna) is a local form of the frontier, and so is the 

 Hoary Fox (F. cana) ; while the common fox of the country (F 

 fersica) though distinct from leucopus is very closely allied to it 



Among the Rodents the Banyan Squirrels Funambulus and 

 Gerbils Tatera sherrini are identical with north Indian forms. But 

 the rest for the most part are specifically and in many cases 

 generically distinct from any forms found in India proper. The 

 House-mouse Mus hactrianus appears to be distributed all over 

 Baluchistan, and to differ specifically from the Punjab or Sind 



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