1875.] 105 



XII. — List of Mammalia collected by the late Dr. Stoliczka wlien attached 

 to the embassy under Sir D. Forsyth in Kashmir, Ladak, Eastern 

 Turkestan, and WaJchdn, with descriptions of new Species. — By W. T. 

 Blanford, F. B. S., F. Z. S. 



(Eeceived July 30th. ;— Read August 4th, 1875.) 



The collections made by Dr. Stoliczka in Kashmir, Ladak, Kashghar, 

 and "Wakhan comprise a very fine series of mammalia, the description of 

 which has been entrusted to me by Mr. Hume, who has undertaken the general 

 direction, besides a large share in the details, of a work intended to be a 

 memorial of our late friend. It is of course impossible to supply the place 

 of the naturalist whose collections I shall do my best to describe, for with 

 him has perished much knowledge of the habits and distribution of the 

 animals, and although this want can be partially atoned for by the copious 

 notes he has left behind, much unfortunately can never be replaced. In the 

 present paper I shall merely give a list of the species of mammalia repre- 

 sented in the collections, with short characters of those which appear to be 

 new, reserving all detailed descriptions for the larger work, in which it is 

 intended to illustrate all the novelties and imperfectly known forms as fully 

 as possible. 



There is always more difficulty in procuring specimens of mammalia 

 than in collecting terrestrial animals belonging to most of the other classes 

 of vertebrata and invertebrata, and this is especially the case with the 

 larger forms. It is consequently not to be expected that the species repre- 

 sented will be more than a portion of those inhabiting the country. Still 

 the collection is rich in some respects, and especially in kinds of rodents, and it 

 adds largely to our knowledge of the fauna of Western Tibet and Eastern 

 Turkestan. The larger mammals indeed were originally better represented, 

 but after Dr. Stoliczka's death many specimens appear to have been removed 

 from the collection. Such at least was the case with the ruminants. In a 

 private letter which Dr. Stoliczka wrote to me, he told me he had sent 22 

 skins of wild sheep from Kashghar. Of these only 11, 7 males and 4 females, 

 are now forthcoming, and not one of these has fine horns. There is not a 

 single specimen of Ovis Poll from the Pamir, the original locality, al- 

 though I have reason to believe that Dr. Stoliczka brought away one 

 head at least. Lastly, there are skeletons of wild sheep and ibex in the col- 

 lection, of which the heads have disappeared. It is highly probable that 

 other specimens besides those of Ovis Boli have been similarly made over to 

 private individuals. The value of the collection for scientific purposes has 

 been seriously diminished by its being broken up, and the finest specimens 

 distributed, before it had been examined. 



