1840.] 



Mammalogy of the Himalayas. 



159 



gated with alternate wavy lines of black and light sandy brown, arising 

 from the hairs on those parts being annulated with these two colours. 

 The whole coat is short, smooth and glossy; it consists of a short fine 

 internal fur, of a cottony texture, and pale bluish white colour, and of a 

 long, coarse, external hair, wdiich, as just observed, is annulated with 

 black and light sandy brown, and gives the general colour to the upper 

 parts of the body. In the distribution of these colours, each hair is 

 divided into three equal parts, the top and bottom being black, and the 

 centre light reddish brown. The dark colour predominates most on the 

 face, hips, and along the median line of the back, but becomes gradually 

 fainter upon the shoulders and flanks, and is separated from the pure 

 white of the belly by a narrow band of pale rufous. The cheeks are 

 grey, pointed or intermixed with black ; a light grey spot occupies the 

 space in front of each eye ; the chin is also grey, and the moustaches 

 long and stiff, black at the roots and grey at the points. The ears appear 

 to be reddish brown tipped with black, but the hair has been partly rub- 

 bed off in tlie specimen described, which prevents me from speaking with 

 certainty. The whole upper part of the neck is pure unmixed sandy 

 red, the fur being of the same quality as the internal fur upon other 

 parts of the body, and without any intermixture of the long external 

 silky hairs. The outer face of the arms, the whole of the fore legs, and 

 the outer face of the hind, are also red ; the tail red, or rather reddish- 

 brown above, and pure white beneath ; and the belly and under parts of 

 the body unmixed white. The animal had probably been killed whilst 

 suckling her young, as the skin exhibited four very large teats, one pair 

 on the breast and the other on the abdomen. These were all I could 

 observe, but there may have been more, as the skin had been a good deal 

 rubbed about these parts. 



But by far the most interesting and unexpected acquisition, which Dr. 

 Royle's discoveries among the Himalayas has produced to the Zoologist, 

 is a new and beautiful species of Lagomys, a genus heretofore only found 

 in Northern Asia and among the rocky mountains in North America. 

 This discovery, of the greatest importance to our inquiries into the prin- 

 ciples which regulate the geographical distribution of animals, is entirely 

 due to Dr. Royle, and furnishes another, and a most glaring instance of 

 the paramount influence of climate upon the dispersion of animals, as 

 well as vegetables. Unfortunately, the only skin which Dr. Royle has 

 brought to England, is too imperfect to admit of so detailed a descripti- 

 on as would be desirable. The skull has been taken out, (it is now in 

 the Museum of University College, and, Professor Grant informs me, ex- 

 hibits the same form of dentition as the other species of Lagomys des- 



