MAMMALIA. 



31 



the same length, as the head. Eore feet white, mixed with pale brown above, hind feet only 

 whitish at the edges ; soles of all the feet thickly clad, only the toe-pads being naked, and 

 even they are almost concealed by the long hair. Tail nearly cylindrical, about one-third the 

 length of the head and body. 



The whole length, measured by Dr. Scully when the animal was fresh, and noted on the 

 ticket, was 122 inches, the tail, of which the vertebrae are preserved, now measures 3 inches 

 including the hair at the end, or 23 without it. The hindfoot and tarsus are 1*4 

 inches long without the claws. Pur on the back about 03 inches long. The weight marked by 

 Dr. Scully on the label was 5*2 oz. 1 



The skull is slightly imperfect behind, the occipital plane having been cut away ; but as 

 the occipital crest remains, the total length can be measured with close approximation. The 

 cranium shows the specimen to have been just adult, the dentition being perfect, although 

 the sagittal crest is only rudimentary. The following are the dimensions : — 





Metre. 



Inches. 



Length of skull (approximate) from occipital plane to alveolar margin 



•0425 



1-75 



Breadth of brain-case across parietal region 



•021 



0-83 



Ditto across zygomatic arches ....... 



•024 



0-98 



Ditto behind post-orbital jn-ocesses ....... 



•01 



0-4 



Length of suture between nasal bones ....... 



•007 



0-28 



Lengtb of bony palate from anterior alveolar margin to the opening of the 







posterior nares ......... 



•0185 



0-75 



Length of carnassial tooth along outer edge ...... 



■005 



0-2 



Breadth of tubercular (hinder) molar 



•0038 



0-15 



Breadth of bony palate between hinder molars ..... 



•0075 



0-3 



Length of lower jaw from condyle to symphysis ..... 



•025 



1- 



Height of same from coronoid process ....... 



•0125 



0-5 



Amongst the collections brought by Dr. Stoliczka from Eastern Turkestan was the skin 

 of a weasel which had been kept in confinement. Judging from the skin alone, the animal 

 appeared chiefly to differ from the common European weasel in colour, and it was difficult to 

 say how far this difference was due to the circumstances under which the individual had been 

 kept. Although I strongly suspected that it was a distinct species, still I thought it safer not 

 to form conclusions from a single skin, and in the list of species, (J. A. S. B., 1875, Vol. 

 Ixiv, Pt. 2, p. 106,) I noted the specimen as Mustela vulgaris ? var. 



A year later / Dr. Scully brought from Turkestan another skin of the same weasel, but 

 the second specimen had belonged to a male wild individual. This skin was also entrusted to 

 me, together with some other interesting specimens, for description. On comparing this 

 second specimen more carefully with 11. vulgaris, I found that it differed, not only in colour, 

 but in size, being a much larger animal. The length measured on the fresh carcase by Dr. 

 Scully shows that the Yarkand weasel is nearly as large as an ermine, whilst the tail, the 

 vertebrae of which are for the most part preserved, appears to be proportionally longer than 

 in the common weasel. The weight and some other details are also carefully recorded on 

 the label. 



1 The weight of the common weasel, according to Pallas, Zoog, Ros. As., i, p. 98, is only 2 ounces and a drachm in the 

 largest individuals, li oz. in smaller animals, chiefly females. 



