50 



SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 



basal portion darker than the terminal, the last third of the longer hairs only being 

 light fawn colour. On the lower parts the hairs- are grey with a pinkish tinge at the base. 

 The pale tipped hairs in the middle of the back are about T \ inch long ; a few still longer fine 

 piles being scattered through the fur on the hinder part of the back. The face is earthy- 

 brown ; vibrissas numerous, moderately coarse, black or blackish-brown, except near the tips, 

 where most are white, the longest extend to the ear, and are about 1*8 inch long ; some coarse 

 silvery- white hairs along the upper lip. Ears short, rounded, scarcely appearing beyond the 

 fur, and almost naked. Feet flesh-coloured, large, very sparsely clad with short scattered 

 white hairs above, naked below. Claws flesh-coloured. Tail shorter than body and head, and 

 absolutely devoid of hairs except above near the base, where there are a very few scattered 

 short fine hairs, none near the tip ; the surface scaly ; the scales round and arranged in 

 indistinct rings, about 40 to the inch. 



Inches. 



Length from snout to insertion of tail 

 Do. of tail .... 

 Do. of ears from orifice 

 Do. do. from head outside 



Breadth of ears 



Length of hind-foot without claws 



Do. of fore-foot 



do. 



6-6 

 52 

 0-6 

 0-5 



0- 4-5 



1- 55 

 0-8 



The first two measurements were taken by Dr. Scully on the body ; the others are from 

 the dried skin. 



- — - o 





Metre. 



Inches. 



Length from occipital plane to end of premaxillaries 





•046 



1-83 



Breadth across zygomatic arches ..... 





•028 



1-12 



Do. of brain pan behind posterior termination of zygoi 



nuta 



■017 



0-68 



Do. of frontal region where narrowest between orbits 





•007 



0-3 



Do. of muzzle ....... 





■01 (J 



0-4 



Length of suture between nasals ..... 





■014 



0-55 



Height of skull above second molar (teeth not measured) . 





•015 



0-6 



Length of bony palate behind incisor teeth to opening of 



posterior 











•026 



1-03 



Length of anterior palatine foramina .... 





•007 



0-27 



Distance from anterior upper molar to incisor 





•016 



0-6 



Length of row of upper molars at insertion in jaw . 





■011 



0-45 



Breadth of palate between anterior upper molars 





•003 



0-13 



Length of mandible from condyle to symphysis 





•033 



1-32 



Height to coronoid process ...... 





•020 



0-78 



Length of row of lower molars ..... 





•011 



0'43 



As pointed out by the describer, the species is distinguished from all other forms of 

 the genus Nesokia by the long silky hair, naked tail and large feet, and by the great pro- 

 portional size and breadth of the skull, mandible and teeth; on the whole, it approaches 

 ne arest to N. huttoni, which is but doubtfully distinct from N. hardioickei. 



This is the second instance in which a species of Nesokia (Spalacomys) has been found 

 wi thin the boundary of the Palsearctic region. N. huttoni has been obtained in Baluchistan 

 and Southern Afghanistan. 



