MAMMALIA. 

 16. C. (Vulpes) sp. 



1, Skin without skull purchased at Kashghar. 



There is one skin purchased, like the others, in the Kashghar bazar, which differs from all 

 the rest in being smaller and very much darker in colour. The difference in size is especially 

 shown by the smaller feet. The dark colour is due partly to the prevalence of black tips to 

 the fur, partly to the dark under-fur being more conspicuous, owing to the longer piles being 

 fewer in proportion, and having shorter tips. It is probable that this is a different fox, but 

 it is possible that it may be a young animal, for young foxes are sometimes much more dusky 

 in colour than adults. It does not agree with the description of V. ferrilatus 1 to which Dr. 

 Stoliczka at first sight thought it might be referred. 



The general colour may be described as rufous iron-grey, grizzled with white tips to the 

 hairs. The under-fur is dusky ashy-grey near the body, passing into chocolate-brown towards 

 the extremities ; the longer hairs are more or less rufous, white beyond the ends of the woolly 

 under-fur, the tips of a large proportion being black ; the upper surface of the head, middle 

 of the back and a band along the tail are more rufous, there being comparatively few black 

 hairs on the face except in a blackish patch on each side in front of the eye. The region 

 below the eyes is brighter rufous, and the upper lip is whitish. The exterior surface of the 

 legs are blackish with some rufous, and very short white tips to the hairs, the interior sur- 

 face light-brown. The hairs below the feet and the tarsi are dull brown. The soles of the 

 feet are much covered with hair as in V. flavescens. The ears are black outside except 

 near the base. The hair of the tail is pale grey at the base, then tawny with black tips. 

 The end of the tail is white. 



In the process of preserving the skin, nearly all the hair has been removed from the 

 inside of the ears ; but one small tuft, which is black, remains in the middle of one ear. In 

 V. flavescens all the hair inside the ears is pale isabelline. This difference tends to 

 show that the small dark skin may belong to a distinct and undescribed species. It is useless, 

 however, to give a name to a single imperfect specimen. 



The foxes of Western Turkestan, according to Severtzoff, are C. vulpes, C. melanotus, and 

 C. cor sac. Hitherto neither of these has been found in Eastern Turkestan, unless C. fla- 

 vescens be a mere variety of G. vulpes. 



Family— M USTELIDjE. 

 17. Meles, sp. nov. 



1 flat skin (without skull or feet) purchased at Kashghar. 



I am unable to refer this skin to any known species. It differs in the colouration of the 

 face from M. taxus, M. canescens, 2 M. leucura, 3 and M. leptorhynchus? in all of which the 

 white mark down the middle of the face extends to the nape, whereas in the Kashghar skin the 

 light portion of the face terminates abruptly in front of the ears. It differs from M. anakuma 5 



1 J. A. S. B., 1842, xi, p. 278. 



2 W. Blanf., Eastern Persia, ii, p. 44, PI. III. The distinction of this species from M. taxus is shown to be doubtful by- 

 Mr. Alston, P. Z. S., 1877, p. 274. 



:i Taxidea leucura, Hodgs., J. A. S. B., 1847, xvi, p. 763, PI. XXIX, XXX, XXXI: Meles leucurus, Gray, Cat. Carn. &c. 

 Mam. B. M., 1869, p. 126. 



4 Milne-Edwards, Recherches pour servir a l'Histoire Naturelle des Mammiferes, p. 190, PI. XXV. 



5 Temm. et Schleg., Fauna Japon., Mam., p. 30, PI. VI. 



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