■S5 



August 12, 1834. 

 N. A. Vigors, Esq., M.P., in the Chair. 



A Letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by B. H. Hodgson, 

 Esq., Corr. Memb. Z. S., and dated Nepal, February 28, 1834. 

 It related chiefly to the distinguishing characteristics between the 

 Ghoral and the Thdr Antelopes. 



Mr. Hodgson remarks that Antilope Goral, Hardw., and Ant. 

 Duvaucellii, Ham. Smith, agree with each other in manners, form, 

 and characters ; us do also Ant. Sumatrensis, Shaw, and Ant. Thar, 

 Hodgs. But the two former appear to him to differ very consider- 

 ably in characters, as they certainly do in structure and in manners, 

 from the two latter. He is, nevertheless, disposed to leave the 

 whole of them for the present in one group, for which it will, how- 

 ever, be necessary to propose amended characters. Tlie double 

 thick coatft)f Antt. Goral and Duvaucellii, he is aware, may be re- 

 ferred to their cold habitat, and he suggests that possibly even their 

 want of suborbital sinus may be attributable to the same cause. 



Observing first that the solidity of the core of the horns must 

 cease to form part of the generic character of Antilope, he proceeds 

 to offer the following characters for the 



Subgenus Nemoehedus, Smith. 



Structure assuming a Caprine form, suited for heavy climbing or 

 for leaping. Horns in both sexes ; their cores hollow and connected 

 with the frontal sinuses, but not porous and only subcellular ; in- 

 serted behind the orbits, short, conical, simply bent back, annulo- 

 wrinkled, parallel to the plane of the face, and nearly so to each other, 

 subremote at the base. Suborbital sinus small or wanting. No in- 

 guinal pores. Tail Caprine. Ears longish, pointed, and striated. 

 Muzzle small. Maned. Hair of two sorts and thick, or of one 

 sort and sjiare. Foiu- teats in the females. 



Reside in the mountainous and woody regions of the continent 

 and islands of India, solitarily or in small groups. 



1. Ant. Sumatrensis, Shaw. Cambing Ootan. 



2. Ant. Duvaucellii, Ham. Smith. Variety of ^w?. Goral} 



3. Ant. Goral, Hardw. Characters extremely Caprine, being al- 

 lied to Antilope only by its round and ringed horns. Size small. 

 Attitude gathered, with the back much arched, and sti-ucture adapted 

 for leaping. Limbs moderately stout and rigid. General form of 

 the scull Caprine, with the ridge-line much bent, and the parietes 

 depressed at a strong angle to the frontal bones, and no indentation 



No. XX. Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



