MAMMALIA. 



33 



The upper parts in the Gilgit skin are brown, the long hairs being pale towards the 

 tips ; the woolly under- fur is white at the base, rich brown towards the ends. The naked 

 patch on the muzzle, between the nostrils, is produced into an obtuse point in the middle 

 below ; above it is higher in the middle and over each . nostril, and has a concave margin be- 

 tween. Length of head and body 34, tail 17'8 : these measurements being those of a dried 

 skin are of course of small value. 



Prejevalski notices the occurrence of an otter, which he calls Lutra vulgaris, on all lakes 

 containing fish in abundance in the neighbourhood of Lob-nor. 



Family— VRSIBM. 

 24. Ursus, sp. 



Although the circumstance is not mentioned in Dr. Stoliczka's diary, I am informed by 

 both Captain Biddulph and Captain Trotter that traces of bears were seen on the Pamir. 

 The species here occurring may very possibly be the pale-coloured form described by Severt- 

 zoff as inhabiting the Thian Shan, and named by him JJ. leuconyx. 1 It is doubtful whether 

 this form is identical with the Himalayan JJ. isabellinus, or whether it is a pale JJ. arctos, 

 as JJ. isabellinus itself is thought to be by some naturalists. Between the Himalayan area and 

 the Pamir there is a broad tract in the Indus valley in which no bears are known to occur. 



According to Prejevalski 2 there are two different kinds of bears on the Thian Shan, the 

 one dark brown, with white claws, supposed to be JJ. leuconyx, the other a much paler 

 animal, found only on high, treeless plateaux, and identified by Prejevalski with JJ. isabellinus. 

 Apparently no comparison of these forms, by means of skulls, has been made, and the colour- 

 ation may vary with the locality. 



Order BODENTIA. 



Family— SCIURID^J. 



25. Pteromys inornatus. 



Geoffr., Jacquemont, Voyage dans l'lnde, iv, Zoologie, Mammiferes, p. 62 j Atlas, ii, PI. IV. 

 1, Sonamarg, Kashmir. 



The original figure of this species differs much in colouration from all specimens that I 

 have seen, being much too pale, and showing nothing of the grizzled back. 



26. Arctomys aureus. Pis. XI, XIa. 



' W. Blanf. J. A. S. B., 1875, xliv, Pt. 2, pp. 106, 123. 

 ? A. caudatus, Severtzoff, Turk. Jev., pp. 61, 81 ; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July, 1876, Ser. 4, Vol. 

 xviii, p. 50, nec Jacquemont. 



A. aureo-fulvus, dorso nigro lavato, capite antice fulvescenti-cano, maculo fusco ad 

 rostri extremitatem signato, ventre interdum leviter ferruginescente, Cauda tertiam partem 



1 Turk. Jev. p. 80; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July 1876, Ser. 4, Vol. xviii, p. 43. 

 » Pet. Mitth. Erg. hft., No. 53, p. 3 : From Kulja, &c, p. 38. 



I 



