COLLECTION OF MAMMALS IN SHIliAZ, PERSIA. 577 



r^/^je.— Adult d B. ;^I. No. 20-2-9-18, Originjil number 925. Collect- 

 ed 22nd June 1919, by Col. J. E. B. Hotson and presented by the Bombay 

 Natural History Society to the British Museum. The neighbouring 

 subspecies M. m. omari has been obtained at Derhend, North of Isphan, alt. 

 6500', the type locality. Also at Resht at 400' by Woosnam and at 

 Telespid, S. W. Persia, alt. 3,200' by Witherby. 



5. Herpestes EDWAE.DSI FERRrciNEUs, Blanford, 

 Ferruginous Indian Mungoose. 



1874. Herpestes ferrugineus, Blanford, P. Z. S., p. 661. 



d 1.. 



This is a rufous race of the Indian Mungoose, Herpestes edtvardsi, Geoflroy. 

 A specimen from Qasrqand, Persian Baluchistan, (Hotson) is a well marked 

 example of this rufous form.. 



Shiraz is at present the Western limit of its range, the type locality is 

 Sind. 



The better known name for the Indian Mungoose, Mungos mungo, 

 really belongs to a South African species of Banded Mungoose. This has 

 been recently pointed out by Dr. J. A. Allen of New York and accept*" 

 by Mr. Oldfield Thomas. It has therefore been necessary to revive the 

 earliest generic and specific name available for the Indian Mungoose which 

 is Herpestes edwardsi. 



6. OaNIS AUREUS, L. 



Jackal. 



1756. Canis aureus, Linnseus, Syst. Nat. i. (10th ed.) p. 40. 



d 1 ; d immature 1. 



The adult is in summer coat, which is much worn. Shows a marked 

 similarity in colour shades and skail, characters and size to specimens frc.m 

 the Lower Tigris. 



7. Meriones PER8ICUS, Blanford. 

 The Persian Jird or Gerbil. 



Ann & Mag. Nat. Hist.., xvi, 1875, p. 312. 



1876. Gerhillus persicus, Blanford. East Persia, n. p. bb. 



These' alre^e with all the specimens of M. persicus in the British Museun-. 

 Shiraz is also close to the type locality. 



In recent collections this species has been obtamed ^^ M^J-^:^;;'^^: ^• 

 of Awaz (Woosnam) and from several districts in Baluchistan (Hotson). 



8. Meriones ambrosius, Thomas. 

 Cinnamon-buff Jird or Gerbil. 



1919 Meriones ambrosius, Thomas, A. M. N. H., 9, in, p. 2/0. 



4IUVair:p°ectmens show a marked resemblance to *e 'jpo ;^ 

 M^:*ZZ. t£ t»o immature skm. have been placeaw,th*e„,.^^^T^^^ 

 pelage is not - "shly eolonred « m the a^^^^^^^^^^ 



affinity to M. ambrosius than to 31. persicus, zaa ouijr f 



the genus in this collection. ^r +i,o Urapr irerbils. the bright 



i. ambrosius is a very beautifu species o the larger gertn ^^^J^^ 



cinnamon buff colouring ^^^-^'^'^ ^^'^^^^^^^l^^^^^^ 

 inr atle^n75 Xtil 1^^ white^ip although this is 

 apparently not a constant feature. 

 21 



