46 
SECOND YARKAND MISSION. 
The following are the dimensions of a skull:— 
Total length . . ... 
Metre. 
. -030 
Inches. 
1*17 
Breadth across zygomatic arches .... 
. -016 
0-64 
Do. between orbits ...... 
. -004 
0*16 
Length of nasal hones ..... 
. *012 
0*48 
Breadth of do. in front .... 
. *004 
0*16 
Length of upper molars taken together 
. *0045 
0*18 
Distance from incisors to upper molars 
. *0085 
0*34 
Length of lower jaw from condyle to symphysis 
. *0155 
0*6 
This species is little more than a large brownish form of C. phceus, but it is so much larger 
that it ought, I think, to be distinguished. I obtained one specimen in Northern Persia which 
agreed in size very fairly with C. fulvusS There appears to he a regular , gradation of closely 
allied forms of grey hamsters, commencing with the little C. arenarius 2 and ending with the 
large C. isabellinus 3 which has the head and body 6 inches long without the tail. 
The only difference I can see between the specimens from Yarkand and Kaslighar, and 
those from the Pamir, is the much longer fur which the latter possess, in consequence, pro¬ 
bably, of the colder climate they inhabit. As already noticed under C. phmis, C. fulvus 
has been found again associated with its smaller relative, by Captain Biddulph, in Gilgit, 
south of the dividing range between the upper Oxus and the Indus, and within the 
territories of Kashmir. 
Erom C. (Cricetulus) griseus 4 the present form is distinguished by its larger size and 
longer tail, by its rather darker colouration (judging at least by the figure of C. griseus ) 
and the absence of any dorsal band, and by the very different disposition of the tubercles on 
the soles of the feet. 
A species recently described by Severtzoff under the name of Crieetus murinus 5 is said 
to resemble in appearance A.rvicola arvalis, being dark greyish-brown above, ashy below; the 
length is 5 inches, of which the tail is P|. This species is found in the Irtish and Ishim 
rivers in South-Western Siberia. The species recorded by Severtzoff from Western Turkestan 
are C. songarus , C. acredula, and C. eversmanni. C. pliceus may very possibly occur also. 
33. Nesokia barclayana. PI. Xa, fig. 1. 
(or A. blythiana, var.) 
Mus {Nesokia) lardayanus, Anderson, J. A. S. JB., 1878, vol. xlvii, Pt. 2, p. 229. 
Nesokia indica, W. Blank, J. A. S. B., 1875, xliv, Pt. 2, p. 108. 
1-5, Srinagar, Kashmir. 
When examining the rodents of Dr. Stoliczka’s collection, I found it very difficult to 
determine the species of Nesokia for want of examples. I have since obtained many speci¬ 
mens from various parts of India, and Dr. Anderson has recently examined the large collec¬ 
tion that has accumulated in the course of the last few years in the Indian Museum, with the 
1 Eastern Persia, ii, p. 58. 
2 Pallas, (Hires, p. 265. 
3 De Filippi, Viaggio in Persia, p. 344. 
4 A. Milne-Edwards, Rech. Mamm., i, p. 133, PL XII, XIII. 
5 Severtzoff, Turk. Jev., p. 82: Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July 1876, Ser. 4, xviii, p. 54. 
