72 Generic Names applicable to the Chevrotains. 
By a curious and fortunate accident, the nomenclature 
of the genera in Trouessart’s ‘Supplement ’* proves now to 
come out practically correct, Echimys being there used for 
the “Loncheres” group, while Rattus is called Euryzygo- 
matomys. The use of Echimys is quoted from Allen, and 
must therefore have been due to a misunderstanding of the 
latter’s paper, in which he came to quite a different con- 
clusion. But the result is none the less convenient. 
VIII.—On the Generic Names applicable to the Chevrotains 
(Tragulide). By Ouprretp Tuomas. 
(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 
Tur name Tragulus was first published by Brisson +, who 
included in it four species. Of these the first, Tragulus 
indicus, “ Le Chevrotain des Indes,’ was selected by 
Merriam {, when writing a paper on Brisson’s genera, as 
the genotype, and this selection we may accept. But the 
belief that the Chevrotain des Indes was the Chevrotain 
of India in the modern sense—that is to say, the spotted 
Tragulus meminna—appears to me to be erroneous, and this 
is very fortunate, for had it been so some confusion and 
altering of names would have resulted. 
For since the Meminna is at least subgenerically distinct 
from the other Oriental Traguli, a new name would be 
needed for the latter if the former were the type of Tragulus, 
while the Meminna has already got a special name. 
On looking up Brisson’s description, we find that all his 
quotations are of early accounts of the Royal Antelope, 
Neotragus pygmeus, which at first suggests the misfortune of 
Tragulus itself being applicable to that animal and not to 
the Chevrotains at all. But Brisson’s description is that 
of a Chevrctain, not of an antelope, as the possession of 
* Cat. Mamm. Suppl. p. 503 (1905). 
+ Régn. An. (2) p. 12 (1762). 
{ Science, i. p. 875 (1895). Only the first line of Merriam’s statement 
about Zragulus can be accepted, his assertion (based on the synonymy) 
about the identity of 7. zmdicus being fortunately incorrect. As indi- 
cated by the double asterisk attached to the title, Brisson’s Tragulus 
indicus was described from actual specimens examined by himself, and 
therefore takes precedence of his synonymy. ; 
