226 F. Stoliczka — Mammals and Birds inhabiting EacJih. [No. 3, 



Erinaceus (Hemiechinus) albulus, n. sp. 



Snout very long and pointed, ears moderate, ovate at tip ; spines irregularly- 

 placed, nmch as in pictus, but comparatively longer and thicker; each of them is 

 dusky at the base, then up to half its length purely white, followed by a blackish 

 brown ring, its breadth being only about one fifth of the total length, tip largely white 

 and rather abruptly pointed, the result being a prevalence of white colour on the upper 

 surface of the body. There is no perceptible nude space between the ears, and the spines 

 begin immediately on the hind neck, and the largest on the back are fully one inch 

 long. Each spine is surrounded by 24 to 26 fine longitudinal furrows, separated by 

 minutely tuberculated ridges, scarcely wider than the furrows. The tail is almost as 

 short as in pictus. 



Head entirely rufescent above and at the sides, except upper mandible towards 

 the angle of the mouth, this being white ; base of ears also white, as well as the entire 

 underside, which is thickly set with long hairs, passing into a slight rufescent shade 

 on the sides of the belly. Ears, lower portions of front and hind feet and tail dusky 

 brownish, being thickly intermixed with short, white hairs ; moustache brown, whitish 

 towards the tip. Claws strong, five on each foot, very pale brownish. 



The only specimen measures very nearly seven inches ; the ear slightly exceeds 

 one inch ; distance from tip of snout to the angle of the mouth not quite one, to the ear 

 sbghtly more than one and a half inch. Dr. Henderson gives the locality, ' Langur 

 near Sanju; Yarkand,' and the native name ' Keepa.' 



The only known form to which the present species is closely allied is E. lybiciis, 

 Ehrenb., which has similarly grooved and similarly coloured spines, but they are de- 

 cidedly shorter, and the coloration of the other parts of the body is different. 



From all the above noted species which, as I stated, are referable to the section 

 Hemiechinus, E. albiventris, Wagn., differs by having only four toes on the hind feet, 

 and the spines sulcated and smoothly ridged. The type specimen, which is 6'5 

 inches long, is believed to have come from the East Indies, but its precise locality is 

 unknown ; it is in the Berlin Museum. The distinctive characters noticed also occur 

 in the iEgyptien E. Pruneri, and Pitzinger separates both as ' Peroechinus.' 



The true Erinacei have five toes on each foot and smoothly striated spines. Of 

 the five species known only E. europceus, namely the Siberian variety, may be found 

 in the Himalayas. 



Carnivora. 



JJrsus laiiatus occasionally occurs in the Wagur district, and I was told 

 of a specimen having been shot on Bela, but it is evidently only a very rare 

 straggler. 



I have not on a single occasion seen either a marten (Ifartes) or a weasel 

 (Mustella), though I was told that at least one species of each does occur. 



Of the Felidce, both the lion ( F. led) and the tiger (F. tigris) extremely 

 rarely occur as stragglers from Kathivar, they had been formerly shot in 

 Kachh territory, and a century ago they might have been more common. 



The larger variety of the pard (Fpardus), usually called panther, is up 

 to the present time not uncommon in some districts. It keeps to the thinly 

 wooded and rocky parts of the country, and its favourite sport constitutes 

 a monopoly with the present Rao of Kachh. 



