remarkable Mountain Viscuclia. 411 



" ^h: Ferrier, who owns a farm in that district, at the foot of 

 Mount Payne, says tliat the Sierra de los Baguales is known 

 to be the most soutliern part in wliich Vizcachas occur, and 

 between that range and mucli fartlier north there are none 

 at all." 



The species is readily distinguishable from all other 

 members of the genus by its large size, rich colour, long fur, 

 immensely bushy tail, and short black ears. 



With characteristic modesty Mr. Wolff.sohn has suggested 

 that the species should be named after ]\lr. McClelland, the 

 President of his Company, to whom he owed the pleasure of 

 his trip to Patagonia, but in view of the immense amount 

 of help we have received from Mr. WolfFsohn, I have 

 ventured to disregard his request, and to name this fine 

 animal after Lira. 



While working out Vt'scaccia Wolfsohni I have found the 

 different races of this genus, of which the British Museum 

 possesses a large number of specimens, to be both numerous 

 and yet locally so constant as to deserve recognition by name. 

 The fine series obtained by the late Mr. Perry O. Simons 

 during his exploration of the Andes is especially rich in 

 noteworthy forms. 



As a preliminary I propose to give short diagnoses of such 

 as I believe to be new, hoping to return to the subject later, 

 when still further material is available. 



Of tlie old names : — 



Vt'scaccia viscaccia, IMolina, is the large deep grey animal 

 from the Chilian Andes, with a short ill-defined dorsal line, 

 yellow belly, the tail with long grey crest and with its 

 underside, although blackish, not sharply defined black. 



V. Cuvieri, Benn., and, more doubtfully, V.pallipes, Benn., 

 appear both to be referable to a strongly yellowish form 

 found in Northern Chili, localized specimens from Iquique 

 and Tarapacd being in the Museum. 



V. peruana, Meyen, I cannot certainly identify, as of none 

 of the specimens before me can it be said that " auf dem 

 Bauche, besonders zwischen den hintern Extremitiiten, sind 

 die Haare zicrlich weiss gefiirbt," all having the belly of a 

 more or less yellow colour, which is generally deepest in the 

 inguinal region. Some form agreeing with Meyen's descrip- 

 tion will no doubt yet be found. 



In the absence of exact knowledge of the local relationship 

 of the different forms to each other, I provisionally use 

 binomial names for all. 



Ann. tD J/ay. N. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol. xix. 31 



