VI INTRODUCTION 



perhaps serve as an inducement to sportsmen, travellers, and 

 others with like opportunities, to aid in this work while 

 there is yet time. In view of the rapid diminution of 

 Big Game Animals in almost all parts of the world, the 

 Museum ought to possess not only a large series of skins of 

 every species to be permanently preserved for purposes of 

 study, but also a reserv^e series to replace the specimens 

 exhibited in the public galleries as these become faded and 

 generally deteriorated— and this not only once but several 

 times over. 



To render a Catalogue of this nature suitable in all 

 respects to the requirements of both scientific naturalists 

 and of sportsmen, is an absolute impossibility ; but as the 

 Ungulates form a group of special interest to the latter class, 

 an attempt has been made to render the descriptions of the 

 various groups and species as little abstruse as possible. 



To a great extent the principle of classing nearly related 

 kinds of animals as races of a single species, rather than as 

 distinct species, has been followed ; and, to accord with this, 

 generic terms are frequently used in a wider sense than is 

 customary with many other writers. 



In order to bring the work more or less nearly into line 

 with other recently issued Catalogues of Mammals, it has 

 been decided to adhere in the main to the principle of 

 priority in the matter of scientific nomenclature, and also to 

 employ tautonomic designations (such as Rupicapra rupi- 

 capra) in cases where the original specific name has been 

 raised to generic rank. Adherence to this principle has 

 involved changes even in certain names employed in my 

 recently issued " Catalogue of the Hume Bequest " — changes 

 which are deplored by no one more than by myself, but for 

 which the officers of the Zoological Department of the 

 Museum are solely responsible. 



A manuscript catalogue of the specimens of Ungulates 

 in the collection, made by Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F.E.S., and 



