Mr. Blyth's Remarks upon specimens of Mammalia and Birds. 313 



XXIX. — Critical Remarks upon Mr. J. E. Gray's published Cata- 

 logue of the specimens of Mammalia and Birds presented by 

 B. H. Hodgson, Esq., to the British Museum. By Ed. Blyth, 

 Curator to the Museum of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, &c. 



By the politeness of Mr. J. E. Gray, I have just been favoured with a 

 copy of his published Catalogue of Mr. Hodgson's specimens pre- 

 sented to the British Museum ; and as I have sundry emendations of 

 nomenclature and corrections of synonyms to offer relative to the 

 species enumerated in that Catalogue, I shall proceed to do so without 

 delay, in hope of checking the diffusion of error so far as my present 

 information suffices for the purpose. 



Page 1. Presbytis schistaceus, Hodgson: erroneously referred to 

 Pr. entellus of Bengal ; and all the synonyms incorrect, except the 

 MS. synonyms of Mr. Hodgson. Pr. hypoleucos, nobis (noticed as 

 a variety of Pr. Johnii by Mr. Martin, and since named Dussumieri 

 by M. Schinz), is a conspicuously different species peculiar to Mala- 

 bar and Travancore ; and the Pr. anchises, Elliot, quoted with a mark 

 of doubt, is more nearly allied to the Himalayan Lungoor (judging 

 from several elaborate descriptions of the latter which I have re- 

 ceived) than is Pr. hypoleucos, but is doubtless also quite distinct, 

 as is likewise Pr. priamus of the Coromandel coast and Ceylon *. 

 Gentlemen in Europe, who derive their knowledge of exotic species 

 chiefly or solely from a few museum specimens, may be pardoned for 

 such occasional mal- identifications ; which cultivators of zoology who 

 study the species in their indigenous abodes, as I have the Pr. en- 

 tellus, — of which I have repeatedly seen troops of many dozens as 

 tame as domestic animals, and permitting of the closest observation 

 and examination short of actually handling them, — could scarcely 

 fall into. The true Pr. entellus I have never observed to vary. 



P. 2. Macacus assamensis, M'Clelland and Horsfield, P. Z. S. 1839, 

 p. 148, if identical with M. pelops, Hodgson, as might easily be 

 ascertained by reference to the India-house specimen of the former, 

 would of course bear the name by which it was first described. 



P. 6. To the well-known small Cat termed Leopardus Elliott by 

 Mr. Gray, must be referred, as an occasional variety merely, the 

 Felts Charltoni, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1846, "p. 211. This 

 variety has been received by the Asiatic Society from Assam ; and 

 intermediate specimens occur which prove the specifical identity 

 here asserted beyond all question. 



P. 7. The Tibetan Lynx does not appear to me to be identical with 

 the species to which Mr. Gray refers it. I have examined several 

 specimens. 



P. 11. Canis lupus, apud Elliot, is strangely enough given as a 

 dubious synonym of C. aureus. A naturalist and sportsman of Mr. 

 Elliot's experience and discernment would about as soon mistake a 



* Mr. Jerdon informs me that both Pr. priamus and Pr. hypoleucos are 

 common in the vicinity of Tellicherry, on the Malabar coast, where he now 

 resides. 



