II. K. 1,1. OMI. WIIIATKIN \M(I\(, IIIK li \TS (IF IMllA. 017 



as thc source of iiiimigraliDii. alili(uit"li llic \\ ilc-ljcilird kiiid aie jin'dipininaiil in 

 Uie l'ar Soulh. 



('i(!<c ,") (/// Aiiii'itzin-). In iirder to observe an abnormal fj;roup, Iwo coii- 

 dilions nuisL be rulfilled. Thc normal kind musl be llioronghly invcslig-ated 

 in liie neighbourliood and Ihc alinormai kind musl be known Trom Ihe caplnrc 

 ol' nn>re Uian a vcry l'cw of Ihc aljnormal kinil. Tiie firsl condition was fullille<l 

 in lliis case: ihe Amrilzar dislricl is dolled wilh villages sej)araled IVoni 

 one anolher by a dislance of a l'ew miles. (Jver Iwenly Ihousand rais were 

 obsei'ved and recorded from sixly of Ihese villaiies Iaken logether. The seconil 

 condition was scarcely l'ulfiUed, since the niiinlier oriheabnormalones caplured 

 was only Iwo. Howex er, Ihe case is menlioned beeause Ihe a]>normalily indu des 

 sevcral uncorrelaled characlers winch are |)resenl in lioth indi\ idnais and conlei' 

 upon Ihem a slrikinf^' appearance of similarily. 



The ])air were maie and feniale caplnred lof^elher in one of Ihe vilhiires in 

 \\ liicli nearly a Ihousand of the common kinil hatl Ijeeii caplnred. The fcmale 

 was pregnanl bearing four early embryos. Il is iiiyhly probable liiat Ihe pair 

 were mates and Ihat Ihe young ones, if Ihey had been born, woulcl hâve reseni- 

 bled Iheir parents. Tiu^ characlers which are Ihe dislinguishing marks of thc 

 pair are as follows, — Albiventralism, a wliile palch or " star" on the forehead, 

 whileness of Ihe last Iwo inches of Ihe lail, a peculiar lighl colour of the whole 

 fur, besides Ihis Ihey are considerably smallcr Ihan usual, bolli being very 

 nearly of Ihe same size. 



1 regard thèse characlers as uncorrelaled beeause Ihey are nol compelleil lo 

 appear logelher. for Ihey hâve often been seen occuring separately in other sports. 

 For e.Kamplc, a single raltus was captured al Poona bearing a similar while patch 

 (in Ihe forehead. Ihough olherwise quite normal. Four young ones were caughl 

 logelher in a traj) al Calicul. each being marked wilh a " star '" and wilh a 

 while lipped lail, only a quarler of an imli of Ihe lail was while and the ven- 

 tral surface of Ihe liody was nul while, hence they resembled the pair from 

 Amrilzar only in Ihe possession of a " sLar ". We hâve seen in Ihe group al 

 Poona a case of allnvenlralism appearing alone and Ihis character is nol 

 uncommon. Similarly sports, in which an inch or more of the lail is while and 

 olhers in which the gênera! colour of tlie fur is of Ihe peculiar lighl colour, 

 bave been seen. Hence Ihe several characlers which occured in both of Ihe 

 pair and would hâve appeared no doubl in Iheir olTspring, -svere uncorrelaled : 

 jusl as the racial characlers of certain domeslic animais are uncorrelaled, Ihe 

 facl being proved by breeding experimenls (e. g. by Davenporl, in poultry.) 

 Bul if Ihese characlers are uncorrelaled how is il thaï they appear in bolh 

 individuals'? Wemay besure thaï bolh are so endowed beeause Ihey are descen- 

 dants of a single individual, w hich happened lo be boin from parents of the norma I 

 kind. Similarly if ten 01- a hundrcd or more of Ihis particular abnormal kind hail 

 been found al Amrilzar, Ihe same e.xplanalion would ha ve 1 obegivenof Iheir origin. 



This case is of peculiar interest beeause Iwo of Ihe characlers describeo 

 are like Ihose which bave been used as Ihe marks of idenlilicalion of well 

 knowiL species. \o specics of Mus bas a " star ". ItuL in sonie. snch as 

 ,1/. Mdi-lcari' . and M. Illan/'onli-^ Ihe terminal portion of the lail is while and 

 in several the ventral surface is while. 



1. Pidc. Zool. Soc, 1887. plaie xii. 

 ■1. rnii-. /.ool. Soc. 1881, l'a^c .Vjl. 



