1908.] MAMMALS FROM XORTllERN CHINA. 975 



.spirit), 1756, 1802, 1807. 1809, 1810, 1814, 1818, 1832, 1833, 

 1834, 1835, 1836, 1845, 1859. Yu-lin-fa, Shen-si. 4000'. 



2. 2003. Wu-cluii, 23 miles W. of Ning-wu-fa, Shan-si. 

 6100'. 



A small, veiy short-tailed species with completely hairy soles 

 and pure white belly. 



Size very small. Fur soft and fine, hairs of back about 9 mm., 

 in length. General colour above drab-grey, becoming on the 

 Hanks and posterior back more distinctly drab (" ecru-drab," in 

 some cases approaching " pinkish buff"). Whole of inider surface, 

 lower part of sides, all four limbs, and tail pure snowy-white, the 

 line of demarcation, which runs from just below the eyes to the 

 top of the base of the tail, well defined, more or less serpentine, 

 convex upwards at the shoulders and hips, downwards on the 

 flanks. A prominent white patch ovei- each eye. Ears of 

 medium size, their proectote dark brown, their metentote white ; 

 a whitish patch behind their posterior bases. Palms and soles 

 completely covered with white hairs, except for a naked patch at 

 the base of the pollex. Tail short and stumpy, about the length 

 of the hind-foot, well-haired, completely white. 



Skull smaller in all dimensions than that of C. rohorovskii, 

 apparently the nearest ally of the present species. 



Dimensions of four specimens, taken in the flesh : — 



S 1773. Headandbody 81 mm. ; tail 14; hind foot 12 ; ear 13. 



S 1861 (type). „ 77 „ ; „ 12 ; „ 12 ; „ 14. 



S 1756. „ 77 „ ; „ 12; „ 12 ; „ 14. 



$ 1807. „ 73 „ ; „ 11 ; „ 11-5; „ 12. 



Skull of type — greatest length 23 '1 ram.; basilar length 18 ; 

 greatest breadth 13"2 ; length of nasals 7'7 ; interorbital breadth 

 3"6 ; brain-case breadth 10"8 ; palatilar length 9-6 ; diastema 6-2 ; 

 palatal foramina 3'9 ; upper molar series 3'1. 



Tijpe locality. Yu-lin-fu, Shen-si . 4000^ 



Tyjje. Old male. B.M. No. 9.1.1.165. Original number 1861. 

 Collected 8 May, 1908. 



This very beautiful little Hamster, which I have named in 

 honour of the Duchess of Bedford, is most nearly allied to the 

 Nan-Shan C. rohorovskii Satunin,* with which it appears to 

 agree in colour and structure. But it is very markedly smaller, 

 the type of C. rohorovskii (stated to be young) having a head and 

 body length of 90 mm., and a larger skull throughout, the molar 

 series being 3"8 mm. in length. 



" The Desert Hamster is a common animal in the region of 

 Yu-lin-fu, where it is found in the sandhills of the desert. I was 

 unable to find the burrows of these animals, and it seems probable 

 that the shifting sand closes their entrances as soon as the animal 

 has passed through. 



"One specimen, No. 2003, came from Wu-chai, Shan-si, a town 



* Ann. Mus. Zool. St. Petersb. vii. p. 571, 1902. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1908, No. LXII, 62 



