On the Gtneric Term " Dam:.." 2.S0 



Five specimens, mensuring 195 to 255 millim., from 

 " Poit Natal," collected by Mr. Ay res, form part of tlie types 

 of Giiiitliev's IL Gurneyi. A specimen, llo millim. lon<r, 

 from Durban, was presented to the British Museum by 

 Col. Bowker. 'J'wo specimens from Port Natal, measuring 

 150 millim., are also in the Museum and have been reterred 

 to B. marequensis, Smith, in which the barbels are much 

 longer than the eye, the third ray of the dorsal fin is stronger, 

 more ossified, and 3 series of scales intervene between 

 the lateral line and the ventral fin. B. Gurneiji, as now 

 restricted, differs abundantly from B, Bowkeri in having a 

 shorter body, a shorter snout, thiinier lips, the posterior 

 barbel much lojiger than the eye, 7 branched rays in the 

 dorsal fin, a much shorter anal, and 31 to 33 scales in the 

 lateral line. 



XLIX.— T^e Generic Term " Dama." 

 By P. L. ScLATER, F.R.S. 



In an article on Zimmermann's * Specimen Zoologiae Geo- 

 gra]»hica3 ' and ' Geographische Geschichte,' lately published 

 in tlie * Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History ' 

 (xvi. pp. 13-22), Dr. Allen has suggested that we ougiit to use 

 the name " X'a7?i(j " for the American group of deer typified 

 by Cervus virginiay^us. If this is the case, the great incon- 

 venience would ensue that we should have to give up the use 

 of the term " Dama " for the Fallow Deer of Europe, to which 

 it has been apj)lied ever since the days of Virgil and Pliny, 

 not to speak of all the systematic writers since Linnaeus. I 

 venture, however, to state my opinion that this disagreeable 

 course is not necessary, nor, indeed, advisable. After reading 

 all that Dr. Allen has written upon the subject and studying 

 Zimmermann's ' Specimen Zoologize Geographicaj,' I have 

 come to tlie conclusion that that author liad no intention 

 whatever of putting forward the word "' Dama^^ as a generic 

 term, and that we should not be justified in attributing to him 

 an intention which lie undoubtedly never entertained. 



In the systematic part of his ' Specimen ' Zimmermaini 

 arrives (p. 527) at the order Pecora, which he divides into 

 seven genera — Camelus, Mosc/ius, Cervus, Antilope, Capra^ 

 Ovi's, and Bus. Under each of these genera Zimmermann 

 places a ceitain number of species with which he was ac- 

 quainted. Under the head of the genus Cervus he ranges 

 eleven species, the seventh of whicli he calls, it is true, 

 ^^ JJania virginiana.'''' At the same time it is quite evident 



