TRICHOMANIS HOEVENII. 



241 



NOTE XXXVII. 

 A NEW MAMMAL FROM SUMATRA 



BY 



Dr, A. A. W. HUBRECHT. 



A few years ago a new and interesting mammal, which 

 is exceedingly rare , even in its native haunts , was brought 

 to the then Resident of Palembang , Mr. A. Pruys van 

 der Hoeven. This gentleman who is not only an eager 

 sportsman, but also well-versed in natural history, reco- 

 gnised it to be new to science and to be more closely 

 allied to certain representatives of the Edentata, than to 

 any other order of mammals. — The type-specimen was 

 held in captivity for several weeks , was fed on ants 

 and afterwards on cooked rice and was sent alive to Europe 

 in order to be examined , described and ultimately preserved 

 in the Royal Museum at Leyden. It unfortunately died on 

 board the vessel , on its way to Holland , and by an un- 

 accountable blunder on the part of one of those in charge, 

 its remains were not preserved , but thrown overboard. 



During my own stay in Sumatra from February till May 

 1891 1 took particular trouble to obtain further inform- 

 ation concerning this animal and have found the fact of 

 its existence — though at the same time of its exceeding 

 rarity ! — confirmed in a way which does not allow me 

 to doubt that ere long further specimens will be available 

 for a thorough examination , also with respect to anatomical 

 detail. My own attempts to secure a second specimen have 

 as yet not been successful , but as they have turned the 

 attentiou of many persons towards this animal I feel bound. 



Notes from the Lieyden IMuseum, Vol. XIII. 



16 



