REVIEW. 485 



points to the opportunities for sportsmen in Upper Burma to give their help 

 towards defining the range and forms of this and the well known Burmese 



Serow. 



The inclusion of the Malay Peninsula in the scope of the book is another 

 noteworthy improvement, as many of the Tenasserim and Burmese animals 

 are distinctly of a Malay type as opposed to those of India proper which are 

 typical of the Oriental region. To the north and west of course the fauna 

 becomes typical of the Eastern Holarctic or Palaearctic region, which gradually 

 passes into and includes the whole of Northern Asia and Europe. A short and 

 concise resume of the meeting grounds of these various faunas is included in 

 the Introduction, as well as the minor sub-divisions of Peninsular India. 



The body of the work includes of course the descriptions, measurements, 

 distribution, habits and. life-history of the animals, and is on the same lines as 

 the previous edition. Considering the limited space available, the book is a 

 worthy example of the amount of information that it is possible to concentrate 

 into a few words. Every paragraph is a model of conciseness of just what the 

 sportsman-naturalist wants to know as a guide to the enjoyment of his recre- 

 ation, while we are pleased to notice the constant references to the points in 

 which his experiences and observations can be turned to good use for the 

 advancement of our knowledge of the animals he may come across during his 

 wanderings. For instance it has yet to be decided whether the practically 

 unknown Singpho Rhinoceros, reputed by natives to be a beast of great size 

 and of which a fine horn is recorded, is more nearly related to the great Indian 

 Rhinoceros (i?. unicornis) than to other two-horned species. An authentic 

 specimen of this Rhinoceros should prove an event of almost equal scientific 

 interest to the discovery of the Okapi although it may not attain the same 

 advertisement. 



There is again much yet to be learned about the varieties and range of the 

 Burmese Bantin or Tsaine (Bos sondaicus), of which little was known till lately 

 and which "may perhaps extend northwards to the hill ranges east of 

 Chittagong." Even of so familiar an animal as the Arna or Indian Buffalo 

 (Bos bubalis) there is still information required on the question of whether 

 the buffaloes of the Malay Peninsula are truly wild animals or merely 

 descendants of herds escaped from captivity. The author instances the 

 evidence in favour of the former from the type of horns represented by a 

 photo of two skulls " brought by a missionary from Singapore " and suggests 

 -that "any authentic information that sportsmen can furnish with regard to 

 wild buffaloes in Burma and the Malay States will be of value and interest." 

 It seems strange that the most important evidence on the point should rest 

 upon an amateur snap shot at the present day. 



We will next mention the Takin (Budorcas taxicolor), which still retains its 

 unique position among the few " animals coming under the designation of big 

 game that have not fallen to the rifle of the British sportsman." To some it 

 may seem rather far fetched to designate the Takin as "big game", for this 



