RESULTS FROM MAMMAL SURVEY. 4S^ 



In preparing my Eeport on the Tenasserim Collection, I had to 

 deal with the fine series of Muntjacs contained in it. As there is a 

 local name, i^i;?., — grandicornis, Lyd. available, it was necessary to 

 lay out, for compai-ative examination, all the material in the 

 National Collection, as well as in the Collections of the Mammal 

 Survey. I think I am safe in saying that no strident has ever before 

 had so much material to deal with, nevertheless there are still many 

 large areas unrepresented in even this fine lot of material. 



The most important missing link is that for Lower Bengal, to 

 which must apply the name vacjinali^, Bodd. 1 have all along held 

 the belief that this form would prove to be identical with Hodgson's 

 ratwa from Nepal ; recently Mr. Shortridge has obtained on the 

 Upper Ohindwin two specimens which appear to be identical with 

 ratica, and we may now, I think, fairly assume that the Lower 

 Bengal animal is also identical with that species. 



The group proves to be somewhat difficult to deal with, the 

 characters useful for diagnosis being so few. Skull characters 

 which, with only a few specimens to guide one, might have been 

 deemed valuable, are shown by these series to be unreliable. The 

 cheek-teeth are so much wider at the crow^n than at the base that, 

 as they wear down with use, and are crushed together, the length 

 of the tooth row constantly varies, there being, in some cases, a 

 difference of as much as 10 millimetres between measin^ements in a 

 young adult and an old animal. The total size of the animal, 

 when tested by exact measurements, taken in the flesh, varies only 

 to a small extent. Differences of colour seem alone to be sufficiently 

 constant to furnish reliable data for differentiation. In the young 

 the colour is lighter than in the old, but the characteristic tint 

 remains constant. 



There are certain colovir markings which are comition to all 

 members of the group, these vary sometimes in degree, usually with 

 age, but are always present. It will be convenient to note these 

 here, so that they need not be repeated subsequently in each 

 detailed description. 



1. A black or brown stripe on the front of each horn pedicel, 

 extending downwards on to the face in the male, and corresponding 

 marks on the face of the hornless female. 



2. ^n^iite colouring inside the ears. 



3. A pale area on the crown. 



4. A "grizzling" on the back of the neck, between the ears 

 and the shoulders, due to a dark ring (or in some cases a dark tip) 

 on each individual hair. 



5. A sharply bicoloured tail, coloured like the back above and 

 pure white beneath. 



6. A pure white area on the stern, extending downwards, over 

 the inside of the thighs, sometimes even down to the houghs. 



