29 1 Mr. Gray on Phalangista Cookii. 



resembling in these particulars the covering of the zebras. It may 

 not improbably belong to some species of antelope with which Euro- 

 peans are yet unacquainted." (Proc Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 123.) Mr. 

 Ogilby's reference to it (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1836, p. 121) is verbatim 

 as follows : " The beautiful species mentioned by Mr. Bennett (Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 1), which is a real antelope, and which I hope 

 shortly to have an opportunity of describing in detail under the name 

 of A. Doria, as a friend who has connections with the west coast of 

 Africa has kindly undertaken to procure me skins." — He refers it, 

 without stating any reason, to a group of antelopes, all the distinct- 

 ive characters of which, as given by himself in the same place, are 

 derived from the head and horns, neither of which (in^f. Doria) are 

 yet known to zoologists. This brief and incidental notice I had en- 

 tirely overlooked ; but immediately on being made acquainted with 

 it, so little did I desire to usurp the honours of a questionable name, 

 that I wrote of my own accord to Mr. Ogilby, stating my " intention 

 to correct the error in the next Number of the Annals." At the same 

 time I wrote the note published in your last Number, which, however, 

 not being immediately sent to you, was mislaid and forgotten. To 

 the charge of having neglected to send you the promised correction 

 I plead guilty in the fullest extent, and must patiently submit to the 

 punishment due to my crime. I may plead, however, in mitigation, 

 that I had already placed in Mr. Ogilby's own hands a full and volun- 

 tary confession of my default. 



On the question of nomenclature (the only practical point involved 

 in the second count of Mr. Ogilby's indictment), I am more than ever 

 convinced, after a careful re-examination of the subject, of the justice 

 of the conclusion to which I had originally come. My Phalangista 

 Banksii was discovered at Endeavour River, within the tropic, on the 

 east coast of New Holland, by Sir J. Banks, in Captain Cook's first 

 voyage (see Hawkesworth, iii. 586) ; it is not however there described, 

 but a specimen brought home by the expedition formed the basis of 

 Pennant's description of his " New Holland Opossum" in his History 

 of Quadrupeds, edit. 1781, p. 310, and I am not aware of any other 

 published description that can with certainty be referred to this 

 species. My Ph. Cookii was found at Adventure Bay in Van Die- 

 men's Land, in Captain Cook's third voyage ; it is there described and 

 figured. That figure and description are universally referred to as 

 the originals from which the name of Ph. Cookii was derived; 

 and even if the specimen described by authors under that name 

 belonged to a different species, I should still maintain that the 

 name of Ph. Cookii ought to remain connected with the animal figured 



