1874.] SIR V. BROOKE ON THE GENUS CERVULUS. 33 



considered them distinct unless he believed all the small Asiatic 

 spotted cats to be of one species. 



Pallas, in the ' Zoographia Russica,' vol. i. p. 29, describes the 

 Lynxes found in the Caucasus ; but they all have a short tail. The 

 skins of the wild cat from there (p. 27) have four longitudinal black 

 streaks on the forehead, three on the nape, and one dorsal streak. 



4. On Sclater's Muntjac and other Species of the Genus 

 Cervulus. By Sir Victor Brooke, Bart., F.Z.S. 



[Keceived January 6, 1874.] 

 (Plates VIII. & IX.) 



In a letter accompanying the specimens of Cervulus sclateri which 

 are mentioned by Mr. Swinhoe in his description of that species 

 (P. Z. S. 1873, p. 813), he expresses his desire that I should describe 

 the species more fully and exhibit the specimens to the Society. 

 The latter part of Mr. Swinhoe's request I have great pleasure in 

 fulfilling this evening ; the former Mr. Swinhoe has rendered very 

 difficult, his description of the species being almost as exhaustive as 

 the materials would admit. 



It has, however, occurred to me that this may be a fitting oppor- 

 tunity for putting together in a concise form all that is known con- 

 cerning the genus Cervulus, so as to form a basis for future obser- 

 vation and research. 



In the Prox furcata from the province of Schlesien (Steinheim), 

 described and figured by Hensel (Zeitschr. d. deutsch. geolog. 

 Gesellsch. 1859, xi. 251-279, T. 10, 11), we have the earliest 

 geological occurrence of this form of Deer. The original specimens 

 described by Hensel consisted of nearly the entire left frontal bone, 

 with pedestal and horn complete, and of part of the superior maxillary. 

 There is in the British Museum a cast of the former, which I have 

 examined carefully ; and the close similarity between it and a corre- 

 sponding portion of the skull of Cervulus muntjac has astonished me, 

 so much so that I have no hesitation in saying that, if the Miocene 

 Muntjac's claim to specific distinction depended solely upon the 

 characters afforded by this specimen, its claims would rest upon a 

 very slender foundation. It cannot, however, I think, be doubted 

 that the discovery of other parts of the skeleton of Prox furcata 

 would reveal trenchant and interesting differences between this ancient 

 form and the existing Muntjacs. 



The distribution of Cervulus, as represented by existing species, is, 

 with perhaps the exception of Cervulus sclateri (which appears to 

 extend into the north-western Palsearctic Region), confined to and 

 coextensive with the Indian or Middle Palseotropical Region of 

 Sclater. 



So far as the materials at my command have enabled me to form 

 an opinion, there are but three definite and persistent modifications 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1874, No. III. 3 



