380 LETTERS FROM MR. R. SWINHOE. [Nov. 8, 
a black list begins to show, which takes a more certain form between 
the shoulders and runs down the back into the third dark bar of the 
tail. The hairs of this list are so thickly set, and so much longer 
than the rest of the fur, that they look as if added on by art. The 
tail has a pale indistinct bar at its roots, and four others along its 
length, the latter increasing in breadth and blackness as they ap- 
proach the tip; they are stretched lozenge-shaped across the tail, 
being broader at their middles than at their sides. The rest of the 
tail is white, forming with the tip five bars. Before the eyes to the 
nose brown; moustache-bristles long and white, a few of the upper 
ones being brown. 
“The animal does not appear to be well known in this neighbour- 
hood, the present being the only instance of its having been observed 
and preserved by Europeans. I have taken its specific name from 
its discoverer, Mr. Ashton.” 
“Tamsuy, 10th August, 1864. 
“As I am now closing my collecting-operations in North For- 
mosa, it would be as well to send you a few remarks on the more 
recent experience I have been able to acquire. The Monkey (Ma- 
cacus cyclopis) is distributed throughout the hilly country. We 
saw a large party of them the other day at Lungkeaou. 
“©The Formosan Bear, I feel sure, is an undescribed animal. I 
have not been able to procure a perfect skin, but I procured some 
paws lately at Sawo Bay, and the cap of a savage covered with a 
patch of itsskin. It is intermediate in size between the Bears of Japan 
and Thibet. It is about four feet and a half from muzzle to tail, 
and is clothed with rigid, somewhat short, black hair, and carries in 
the adult a crescent-shaped white mark on its breast between the 
fore legs. In the young this patch would appear to be brown; at 
least the Indian’s cap above referred to had the mark on it of that 
colour. Of the paws, the fore paw measures, from the carpal joint 
to the end of the middle claw, 5 inches; its greatest breadth above 
is 3 inches: claws well hooked, and cultrated underneath: palm- 
pad nearly triangular, the apex towards the carpus, inclining out- 
wardly ; length 23 inches, greatest breadth 2,8;: each of the toes 
has bare oval pads underneath. Hind foot 6 inches in length mea- 
sured underneath, greatest breadth above 2,5, ; sole-pad an irregular 
triangle, 355, long, 23 greatest breadth; the pad of the outer and 
inner toes joining with the sole-pad, the rest of the toe-pads, as 
those of the fore foot, having cushions of hair between. Toe-pads 
of hind foot smaller than those of fore foot ; claws not so long as in 
fore foot, and more covered with hair, being nearly hidden by it. 
For the Formosan Bear may I take the liberty of proposing the 
name Ursus formosanus? 1 have heard objections made to For- 
mosa being formed into an adjective by the termination anus; but 
is not this liberty sanctioned by classical Latin in such a word as 
Augustani being applied to the people of the cities bearing the 
name Augusta ? 
“A few words now on Leopardus brachyurus. I have not seen 
this animal alive. At Sawo I procured two skins of adult animals 
