1872.] W. T. Blanford— Zoology of Sikkim. 37 



I have extracted the skull of an adult in spirit, proved to be full grown 

 by the teeth and by the epiphyses of the limb bones being firmly united to 

 the shafts by ossification. This skull measured only l'lS" in length and 0*7 

 in breadth across the zygomatic arches ; the orbits are very small, the longi- 

 tudinal diameter being 035", and the transverse 0*28 inches only. The nasal 

 bones are of equal breadth above throughout, and the anterior palatine 

 openings broadly confluent behind. This skull agrees very well with the 

 figure ha Boyle's illustrations of the Botany, &c. of the Himalayas,* except that 

 it is smaller and that the orbits appear rather shorter ; the general form is 

 strikingly similar. The description of the skin of L. Moylei both by Ogilby 

 and Waterhouse (JRodentia, p. 26,) agrees well with the Sikkim animal, 

 except that the variety from the western Himalayas appears to be of 

 somewhat larger size, but as all the dimensions appear to be taken from skins, 

 they are of small value, and Jerdon's measurements, which are probably from 

 fresh specimens, exceed mine by very little. The specimens in the Indian 

 Museum also agree with those from Sikkim, except that the fur is much 

 harsher, but it is difficult to say how far this is the result of preparation and 

 of exposure. I am inclined to attach less value to it, because the different 

 specimens in the Museum vary greatly in the softness of the fur. 



But I am also persuaded that the Sikkim species must be Hodgson's 

 Lagomys Curzonice. The description agrees very fairly, and the dimensionsf 

 only slightly exceed those of my specimens, whilst they agree with Jerdon's 

 dimensions of L. Boylei. It is true that Hodgson does not mention the- 

 black tips to the hairs, but as he uses the somewhat indefinite expression 

 " murine fulvous" for the colour, I can only suppose that there were probably 

 dark tips. Hodgson's specimens were said to come from the Chumbi valley. 

 Now I found Lagomys Boylei along the west slope of the range separating 

 Sikkim from Chumbi, in climates as different, and places as far apart as 

 Chola and the upper Lachung valley, and it is very surprising, if a different 

 species inhabits the other side of the range. 



My friend Dr. Stoliczka has described a very distinct species J from Ladak 

 as Lagomys Gurzonicd, J. A. S. B., Pt. II, pp. 108-111, I believe that this 



* Tlie type of Ogilby's L. Boylei, but named. L. alpinns in the plate ;*comp. Boyle's 

 Illust. p. lsix. The coloration of the animal in this plate is very incorrect. 



f The length of the palma and nails one-eighth inch must be a misprint, and it 

 is evident that all the measurements have been taken from a skin, so that they are 

 approximations. 



J [I do not think that there is sufficient evidence for this statement. On compar- 

 ing Hodgson's description of L. Nipalensis with tha,t of Curzonice, the differences 

 between the two can be noticed with little difficulty. The size of Curzonice varies 

 greatly, many specimens equalling Nipalensis in size, but the fur is very distinct. 

 Hodgson's description of Curzonice appears to me rather to apply to the species which 

 I have re-described under the same name, than to Boylei. — P. StoliczkaJ. 



