1881.] DU. J. SCULLY ON THE MAMMALS OF GILGIT. 205 



and outhouses. Tlie Gilgit Rat is not separable from the so-called 

 M. rufescens of Calcutta or M, robustus (Blyth) of Burma; and it 

 also agrees in all essential characters with M. alexandrinus (Geoff.). 

 A specimen of M. alexandrinus from Algeria, in the British Museum, 

 only differs from one of my Gilgit specimens in having rather 

 harsher fur. 



22. Mus ARiANUs, Blanford. 



Mus arianus, \V. T. Blanford, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. l88l, vii. 

 p. 162. 



Mus erythronotus, W. T. Blanford, Zoology of Persia, 187ti, 

 p. 54, pi. V. f. 3 ; J. A. S. B. ii. 1879, p. 97, nee Temminck. 



This long-tailed Field-Mouse, which is closely allied to M. sylva- 

 ticiis (Linn.), is fairly common in the Gilgit district at elevations 

 of from 5000 to 10,000 feet. It is found on grassy downs in the 

 vicinity of forests, and about hedges in cultivated ground. In the 

 beginning of winter, after a few heavy falls of snow on the hills, 

 this Mouse often enters houses at night, and is then very bold and 

 troublesome. 



23. Cricktus ph^xjs, Pallas. 



Cricetus phceus, Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. i, p. 163 (1811); 

 Blanford, J. A. S. B. 1879, ii. p. 96. 



This Hamster is found in the Gilgit district at elevations of 5000 

 to about 9000 feet. It is common in summer about pasture- 

 grounds and on the outskirts of pine-forests ; and it very commonly 

 enters shepherd's huts, where, indeed, most of my specimens were 

 captured. 



24. Cricetus fulvus, Blauf. 



Cricetus fulviis, Blanford, J. A. S.B. 1875, ii. p. 108; ibid. 1879, 

 p. 97. 



This form occurs in the same localities as the preceding species, 

 and has the same habits ; its young are born during the first week 

 in March. Gilgit specimens of this Hamster agree in dimensions 

 with typical examples from Eastern Turkestan ; but the colour of 

 the upper parts is greyer and less tinged with yellow. 



25. Cricetus isabellinus, De Fil. 



Cricetus isabellimis, De Filippi, Viaggio in Persia, 1865, p. 344. 



Two specimens of a Hamster captured in the Nultar valley in 

 July, at an elevation of about 9000 feet, agree well with De Filippi's 

 description of 0. isabellinus. The length of the head and body in 

 my specimens, measured in the flesh, was 5*35 and 5*25, while the 

 type measured 5*9 ; but De Filippi no doubt took his measurement 

 from a skin, and the skin of the smaller of ray two specimens now 

 measures 6 inches. This form seems to me only to differ from 

 C. fulinis in size ; and I believe that both V. fulvus and C. isabel- 

 linus must be regarded as merely subspecies of C phceus. 



