1886.] DR. GUNTHER ON A VARIETY OF FELIS LEOPARDUS. 203 
birds, and most of the views admit, I believe, of no reasonable 
doubt. There can be little doubt, also, that up to a certain point 
there is a remarkable correlation of particular styles of imbrication of 
the cubital coverts with certain structural cnaracteristics—osteological, 
myological, visceral, and pterographical; so that, within certain 
limits, the disposition of the cubital coverts may be taken as a kind 
of index to the presence, or the absence, of deeper-seated characters 
whose importance in relation to taxonomy is generally recognized. 
Nevertheless, until the facts here called attention to have been in- 
dependently considered by other observers, I feel sure that it would 
be premature to press the importance of the bearing that any of these 
may seem to me to have upon taxonomic questions: for the present 
it will probably be generally deemed advisable to lay more stress 
upon the bearing of the facts upon the correct delineation of birds 
tor zoological purposes, than upon their value as furnishing addl- 
tional data as subordinate factors in any scheme of classification.” 
4. Second Note on the Melanotic Variety of the South- 
African Leopard. By Dr. A. GUnruer, F.Z.S, 
{Received March 26, 1886.] 
By the last South-African mail I have received from Mr. N. 
Abraham, President of the Graham’s-town Natural History Society, 
a letter with photograph enclosed, which gives more positive infor- 
mation about the variety of the Leopard of the district of Albany, 
mentioned by Mr. Trimen in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 535, and 
described by myself, ébid. 1885, p. 243, pl. xvi. The skin in Mr. 
Abraham’s possession leaves hardly any doubt that we have before 
us a case of incipient melanism, which, if the family in which the 
melanotic tendency showed itself had been left undisturbed, might 
have been developed into as complete a condition of melanism as is 
occasionally found in the Asiatic Leopard. Mr. Abraham writes as 
follows :— 
“ Graham’s-town, 8. A., 
March Ist, 1886. 
“To Dr. A. Ginther, F.Z.S8. 
« Dear Srr, 
“Knowing that you are interested in the black variety of 
Leopard found in the district of Albany, I write to tell you of a 
beautiful skin which I have in my possession and also to send you a 
photograph of the same. I had the flat skin photographed on 
purpose that I might send you a copy, as I thought a photo would 
convey'a good description and save many words. It will, however,’ 
be necessary for me to say that the blackness of the skin is more 
dense than appears in the photo. The gloss upon the skin prevented 
the photographer from giving a true idea of the beautiful black, which 
is dense in many parts. here are no rosettes or spots at all on the 
larger portion of the skin ; in this the photograph is quite correct. 
14* 
