MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 839 



The remarkable point about the known distribution of the takin is its 

 apparent discontinuity. Thus area (i) is separated from area (ii) by the 

 whole breadth of the Upper Assam valley ; area (ii) from area (iii) by the 

 deep valley of the Taron (or eastern branch of the Irrawady) ; area (iii) 

 from (iv) by at least the Salween and Yangtze valleys. The separation 

 of areas (iv) and (v), though very considerable in miles, is more difficult to 

 define ; the plain of the upper Han river, and several big tributaries of the 

 Yangtze, however, intervene. And there is this significant feature about 

 it, that the new species, B. bedfordi occurs on a range running at right 

 angles to all the ranges on which B. taxicolor (with B. tihetanus) is found. 



This statement requires explanation. The most western (Bhutan) 

 animal occurs at the extreme eastern end of the Himalayan ranges, which 

 here trend east and west ; the most eastern animal is found at the western 

 end of the Tsin-ling ranges, which also trend east and west, but its area 

 of distribution in Shensi is probably much less restricted than is that of 

 the Bhutan takin. The intermediate areas are all on north and south 

 trending ranges. 



The Ssuchuan takin, known for many years, and shot by no less than 

 three Europeans in 1908 (Mr. R. W. Zappy, Mr. C, H. Hears and Capt. 

 Malcolm M'NeilJ) originally described as B. taxicolor var. tibetana was 

 subsequently raised to specific rank under the name B. tibetanus. This 

 animal inhabits the high mountain ranges of far Western Ssuchuan, the 

 Tibetan Marches, geographically related to the parallel mountain system.s 

 of Burma, and S. E. Tibet. B. bedfordi obtained from the Tsin-ling is 

 another animal altogether. As far as T know, there was never any 

 question of its being a mere colour variety of B. taxicolor though obviously 

 a close ally. 



According to Mr. E. H. Wilson, however, who has perhaps seen more 

 takin skins than anyone else, these animals vary so enormously in colora- 

 tion, that it is still an open question, which are varieties and which 

 species." 



The only even moderately well known takin are those of Bhutan and W. 

 China, from the two most widely separated areas ; and these are the types 

 of the three species. Those known from the parallel ranges in the Sino- 

 Tibetan area are all referred to B. tibetanus, which is certainly very close to 

 B. taxicolor. This suggests that the Shensi animal has been long isolated, 

 while those of the Sino-Tibetan area have been recently, or even still are 

 in communication with those of the Bhutan area. It also suggests that 

 the parallel ranges of the Sino-Tibetan area are more closely related to 

 the Himalayan ranges than they are to the ranges of mid-China, 



But the whole of this great area from the Brahamaputra to the Yalung 

 is so little known, that the present apparent discontinuity of distribution 

 may easily turn out to be exaggerated. Indeed there is no reason why 

 B. taxicolor, B. tibetanus and B. bedfordi should not be mere colour varieties 

 of the same animal, of which the intermediate forms have not yet been 

 found ; though such a verdict need not invalidate the above argument. 



We now come more directly to Mr. Mill's animal. It is evident that 

 there is no obstacle to migration down one of the parallel ranges stretching 

 south between the Brahamaputra and the Yalung river, so long as the 

 necessary conditions are fulfilled. Major Bailey's Tibetan takin were shot, 

 I believe, somewhere near Drowa-gompa on the Salween-Zayul divide, 

 and there is nothing to prevent an animal migrating from there S.-W, 

 into the Naga Hills, passing along the range between the Zayul valley and 

 the headwaters of the Mali-hka ; or due south down the range between 

 the Hukong valley and the Mali-hka. There is indeed no reason why 

 takin should not be found on the ranges between the Mali-hka and the 



