MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 235 



Since writing the above I have seen the skin of the black leopard shot by 

 Mr. Monteath and set up by Mr. Rowland Ward, and I am more than ever 

 inclined to think that the Kolhapur pair are a distinct species. 



Mr. Monteath's skin, even without a strong light on it, is of a dark brown 

 colour and the spots on it appear to stand out in relief. 



The Kolhapur pair, on the other hand, are of the same coal black (except on 

 ths sides of the belly) as the ordinary domestic black cat. 



W. B. FERRIS, Lieut.-Col. 

 Kolhapur, 23rrf November 1905. 



No. XI.— THE STRAIGHT-HORNED ASSAM BUFFALO. 



In response to a request from me, the Maharaja of Cooch-Behar has pre- 

 sented to the British (Natural History) Museum the skull and horns of a cow 

 of the straight-horned Assam buffalo {Bos bubalis macrcceros). The generosity 

 of the donor is specially notable, as this was the only fine specimen of the skull 

 of a cow of this rare and, I believe, now extinct buffalo in his Highness 'a 

 collection. Mr. Ward has been commissioned to prepare a -wooden model of 

 the specimen for the Maharaja, so that the aLimal may still be represented 

 among the Cooch-Behar trophies. The specimen is the only one of its kind 

 I have ever seen in this country, and when mounted will form an important 

 addition to the museum, which already possesses two examples of the bull of 

 the same race, namely, the huge pair of horns from the Sloar.e collection and 

 a complete skull and horns. The peculiar characteristics of the herns of the 

 cow of the straight-horned race may best be realised by comparing the dimen- 

 sions of the new specimen with those of the skull and horns of a female of 

 the typical circular-horned race. These dimensions are as follow, those of the 

 new specimen being in the first column : — 



Maximum span ... 8ft. l|in. ...... 4ft. 3in. 



Tip to tip interval , 8ft. 1ft. U£in. 



Length of left horn on outer curve 4ft. lOin 4ft. 7|in. 



R. L. 

 (From " The Field, " 5th August 1905J 



No. XII.— THE CEYLON CHITA L. 



Although it is a well-known fact that the ch'tal, or spotted deer of Ceylon, 

 carries much lighter antlers than the typical Indian Cervus axis found in the 

 Central Provinces, it does not appear that a detailed comparison has ever been 

 made between the two animals. Indeed, hitherto the Natural History Museum 

 has not contained a single example of the Ceylon representative of the species, 

 so that such a comparison has been impossible. Recently, however, I have 

 had the opportunity of seeing a fine series of heads and body skins of Ceylon 

 chital shot by Major F. W. Begbie, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, and 

 these specimens render it certain that this deer represents a well marked local 

 race. I should add that, at my request, Major Begbie has generously presetted 



