1887.] Birds from Northern Afghanistan. 



The three species of Ellohius may be thus contrasted :^ 



75 



£. talpinus. 



1. Base of far almost 

 black. 



2. Zygoma low, malar in- 

 terposed between maxil- 

 lary and squamosal pro- 

 cesses in lower mai'gin. 



3. Nasals convex 

 nally. 



exter- 3 



. Premaxillas terminate 

 posteriorly opposite end 

 of nasals. 



-^ has no posterior 

 lobe behind last ou^er 

 angle. 



rr-^ angles 3—4. 



E. intermedins. 



1. Base of fur dark 

 leaden grey. 



2. Zygoma high through- 

 out, malar interposed be- 

 tween maxillary and 

 squamosal processes in 

 lower margin. 



Nasals bottle- shaped, or 

 external margin alter- 

 nately convex and con- 

 cave, 



4. Premaxillae prolonged 

 behind hind end of na- 

 sals. 



5. *" ^ has no posterior 

 lobe behind last outer 

 angle. 



6. ^^ angles 4 — 5 



E. fuscocapillus. 

 or 1. Base of fur light grey. 



2. Zygoma high in mid- 

 dle, maxillary and squa- 

 mosal processes alone 

 form lower margin. 



3. Nasals bottle-shaped, 

 or external margin alter- 

 nately convex and con- 

 cave. 



4. Premaxillae prolonged 

 behind hind end of na- 

 sals. 



5. !!L^ has a prominent 

 posterior lobe behind 

 last outer angle. 



6. ,-^7-3^ angles 4—5. 



For the comparison of the three specimens collected by Capt. 

 Yate, I have Mr. Blanford's very full description of a skin and skull of 

 E. fuscocapillus (with figure of skull and teeth) in the paper before cited, 

 and three skins and a skull of the same species in the Indian Museum. 

 I have no specimen of E. talpinus for comparison, but Mr. Blanford 

 has so clearly and, I am sure, accurately given the differences between 

 that form and E. fuscocapillus that T have no hesitation in deciding that 

 Capt. Yate's specimen must be referred to a new species. The only 

 known locality for E. fuscocapillus is Quetta, and the Russian E. talpinus 

 is recorded by Severtsoff from Western Turkestan ; so that the present 

 species is intermediate in its habitat, as well as in iis distinctive charac- 

 ters, between the tv70 better known species of the genus. SevertsofE 

 calls his Turkestan specimens E. talpinus, var. rufescens, and these may 

 prove to belong to the species I have described. 



Capt. Yate notes on the ticket of one of the specimens, *' Eyes 

 scarcely visible ; caught by day." 



10. Lagomys rufescens, Gray. 



Shadian, 

 Ditto 



Afghan Turkistan, August 2. 

 ditto ditto, August 6. 



The above two examples belonging to a well marked and welt 

 known species need no extended notice ; they agree perfectly with spe- 

 cimens collected by Blanford in Persia. The species was originally 

 described from a specimen obtained in Afghanistan. 



