972 MR. OLD FIELD THOMAS OK [DeC. 15 



14. Meriones psammophilus M.-Edw. 



J. 1652. ?. 1653. Tai-Yuen-Fn, Shan-si. 2700'. 

 Distinguishable from M. cmceps mainly by its smaller size, 

 shorter tail, and smaller bnllse. 



15. Meriones unguiculatus M.-Edw. 



S. 1739, 1740. $. 1741, 1742. Oi-dos Desert, N.W. of 

 Ching-pien, Shen-si. 4900'. 



This Gerbil is readily distinguishable from the other two 

 Chinese species by its black claws, grey-based belly-hairs, and 

 buffy instead of ochraceous tail. Mr. Anderson had previously 

 obtained a good series of it at Taboul on the Mongolian plateau. 



Its skull is very like that of J/, psmnmopliilus^ but the bullae 

 are smaller, and do not abut on or overlap the hinder coiners of 

 the zygomata. 



16. MUS CONFUCIANUS LUTICOLOR. 



Thos. Abstr. P. Z. S. 1908, p. 45 (Dec. 15). 

 J. 1689, 1698, 1710. Yen-an-fu, Shen-si. 3000'. 



A pale race of M. confucianus, smaller and more delicately 

 built than the Shantung 21. c. sacer. 



Size rather less than in sace7\ Fur soft and fine, without 

 spines. General colour above pale bufFy (between cream -bufi" and 

 buff of Ridgway) lined with bi-own along the dorsal area. Sides 

 clearer buffy. Under surface and inner side of limbs pure, sharply 

 defined, bufiy white, whiter on the chin, more creamy on the 

 belly. Ears large, pale greyish brown with white edges. Upper 

 surface of hands and feet white. Tail well-haired, the scales 

 being practically hidden, pencilled terminall}^, the hairs at the 

 tip 6-7 mm. in length ; brown above proximally, white terminally 

 and below, the amount that is white varying from one -third to 

 two-thirds the length of the tail. 



Skull smaller and more delicately built throughout than that 

 of J/, c. sacer, the bram-case smoother and more rounded and 

 the ridges less developed ; palatal foramina shorter ; bullae rather 

 larger ; molars smaller. 



Dimensions of the type, measured in the flesh : — 



Head and body 130 mm. ; tail 167 ; hind foot 27 ; ear 23. 



Skull — greatest length 35-3 mm. ; basilar length 27*4 ; greatest 

 breadth 17; nasals 12-7; interorbital breadth 5"3 ; palatilar 

 length 14'7 ; palatal foramina 6*5 ; upper molar series 5*6. 



Hcd>. as above. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. No. 9.1.1.92. Original number 1689. 

 ■Collected 13 March, 1908. 



This is a more or less desert form of the widely spread 

 M. coitfucianus, smaller than M. c. sacer, paler coloured than the 

 true confucianv,s. 



" A rare animal in Shen-si, where we found it living in some 

 rocky barren gullies. This i-at is apparently not dependent or 



