446 The Polecat of Tibet. [May, 



and yet intelligent ; with the simple resource of a plain knife, he makes 

 his house and furnishes your's, with a speed, alacrity and ingenuity that 

 steals away that well known long hour, when the weary pilgrim frets 

 for his couch. In all my dealings with them they have proved scrupu- 

 lously honest. Except for drunkenness and carelessness, I never had 

 to complain of any of the merry troop, some of whom, bare-headed 

 and bare-legged, with absolutely nothing but a cotton garment and long 

 knife, followed me for 3 months (on a recent occasion, from the scorch- 

 ing plains to the everlasting snows ;) ever foremost in the forest or bleak 

 mountain, and ever ready to help, to carry, to encamp, collect, or cook, 

 they cheer on the traveller by their unostentatious zeal in his service ; 

 and are spurs to his progress, for who would not go forwards where 

 such followers are behind. 



The Polecat of Tibet, n. s. % B. H. Hodgson, Esq. 

 With a Plate. 



Every addition to the Mammalogy of Tibet is of high interest from 

 the light it is calculated to reflect upon those very subtly varying cir- 

 cumstances which determine parity of climate in relation to organic 

 development and distribution ; and I have therefore much satisfaction 

 in presenting to the Society the following description of a new species 

 of Weasel, bearing nearly the same remarkable resemblance to the ordi- 

 nary Polecat of England as do the Raven, Magpie, Chough and Nut- 

 cracker of Tibet to those of our own country. Ere long, when the results 

 of the recent scientific expedition to Gnari shall have been placed before 

 the public, the mean elevation and temperature, the moisture and the 

 soil of the Western Province of the great transnivean plateau will, it is 

 hoped, no longer remain matters of speculation and doubt. But we 

 possess not, nor have any prospect of soon obtaining, similar data in 

 reference to the central province of U'tsang, or to the eastern province of 

 Kham. Humboldt has, indeed, assigned 10,000 French feet for the 



