204 DR. J. SCULLY ON THE MAMMALS OF GILGIT. [Jan. 18, 



to have been turned aside by Bears in their search for insects. The 

 natives add that this Bear will devour any carcass it may chance to 

 find in its wanderings. 



In the Gilgit district the young are usually born about the middle 

 of May. 



The Gilgit Bear agrees well in external characters with Severtzoff's 

 description of his Ursus leuconyx. The claws are pale horny or 

 quite white ; and the length of half a dozen specimens, measured in 

 the flesh, varied from 4 feet 8 inches to .5 feet 8 inches. There is, as 

 usual, considerable variation in the skulls. I was disposed at first 

 to consider U. leuconyx separable from U. isabellinus on account of 

 its smaller size, white claws, and more rufous-brown coloration ; but 

 I doubt if there be any constant distinction. U. isabellinus is 

 usually spoken of as a large Bear, equal in size to TJ. arctos. Jerdon 

 says (' Mammals of India ') that a moderate-sized one measured 

 7 feet 6 inches ; and Kinlocli (' Large Game of Thibet ') says that it 

 attains a length of 7 feet. In the ariginal description of the species, 

 however, U. isabellinus is expressly said to be smaller than U. arctos, 

 the length of the skin which formed the type being 3 feet 10 inches 

 only. Again, TJ. isabellinus has pale horn-coloured claws very little 

 darker than in TJ. leuconyx. As to the colour of the fur, this varies 

 so much in both forms that no specific difference can be founded 

 upon it. 



EODENTIA. 



19. SciuROPTERUs FiMBRiATUs (Gray). 



Sciuropterus fimbriatus, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. n. s. i. p. 584 

 (1837). 



This Flying Squirrel is not very common in the Gilgit district, 

 where it is confined to forest-country at elevations of from 8000 to 

 12,000 feet. All my specimens were procured in pine-forests. 



20. Arctomys caudatus, Jacq. 



Arctomys caudatus, Jacquemont, A^oyage dans I'lnde, iv. p. 66 

 (1844). 



This fine Marmot was only found on the southern limit of tlie 

 region included in this paper. On the Astor side of the Burzil Pass 

 the Long-tailed Marmot is found in considerable numbers ; but I 

 have no evidence of its occurrence west of the Indus anywhere in 

 the vicinity of Gilgit. 



21. Mus alexandrinus, Geoff. 



Mus alexandrinus, Geoffroy, Descr. de I'Egypte, Hist. Nat. ii. 

 p. 733(1812). 



Mus rufescens, apud Jerdon, Mamni. of India, p. 199 ; Blanford, 

 J. A. S. B. 1879, ii. p. 97. 



Common throughout the inhabited parts of the Gilgit district, 

 from 4000 to 7000 feet above sea-level. It is chiefly a Field-Rat, 

 but often enters houses ; and its young are frequently found in sheds 



