25. 
SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
This species seems to replace C. andersoni 
on the Wu-tsai plain, and other non-moun- 
tainous districts of North China. In habits 
the two closely resemble each other. Griseus 
has a shorter tail and is characterized by a 
dark median dorsal line, otherwise closely 
resembling andersont. 
Cricetulus griseus obscurus, M.-Edw. 
Two specimens, g, 9. Tabool, 100 miles N. 
of Kalgan, Mongolia. 4,000 ft. 
Milne-Edwards described a hamster from 
Sartchy (or Saratsi or Sa-la-ch’i), 40 miles 
west of K’uei-hua-ch’éng, giving it the name 
of Cricetulus obscurus. Some specimens of 
hamsters taken by Mr. Anderson at Tabool 
were referred to Milne-Edwards’ C. obscurus 
by Mr. Thomas, who considered that this 
species should be considered as a subspecies 
of C. griseus, under the name of Cricetulus 
griseus obscurus. This being the case, it is 
possible that the specimens from Wuz-tsai, 
identified as C. griseus, should really be 
C. g. obscurus. These specimens were in 
their winter coat, which being very grey 
seemed to agree more with C. griseus from 
Shantung and Chihli. 
Mr. Anderson, when collecting in the pre- 
sent district, found this hamster very common. 
We found it rather rare, but this may be due 
197 
