Y96 MR. E. LYDEKKEE ON A [June 20, 



than the general ground-colour. Moreover, from the head to the 

 shoulders the spots are solid, like those of the Hunting-Leopard. 

 In their large size, oblong or circular form, and wide separation 

 from one another, they are quite unlike the s]iots on the same part 

 of the body of the African Leopard, which are also solid. 



The fur, which is relatively long all over the body, becomes still 

 more markedly so on the under-parts, where it is pui-e white, with 

 solid elongated black spots of very large size, but widely separated 

 from one another. Li this respect the skin is nearer to the Lidian 

 than to the African Leopard, in which the fur of the under-parts 

 is yellowish, with the spots so large as to exhibit onlj^ a network 

 of light ground. The resemblance of the under-parts of the 

 present specimen to the corresponding regiou of the Snow-Leopard 

 is remarkably striking ; and a similar resemblance is exhibited by 

 the very loug and bushy tail, especially the terminal third, which 

 is black and white only. 



That the present specimen is, however, only a well-marked local 

 variety of the Leopard I am quite convinced ; and if I am right in 

 identifying it with the so-called Felis talUana, the latter animal 

 must also be looked upon as a race of the same species, under the 

 title of F. 2Mrdus tidliana. This will accordingly be the Jv orth- 

 eastern representative of the species ; and it will be interesting to 

 find where it passes into the ordinary Indian form, to which it is 

 clearly nearer than it is to the African. It is stated by Mr. Blan- 

 ford to range into Baluchistan and the confines of Sind. 



I may add that I am fully convinced of the advisability of 

 separating the Indian from the African race of the Leopard ; but 

 there comes the puzzling question as to which is entitled to bear 

 the name of typicus. 



7. On the supposed former Existence of a Sirenian i; 

 St. Helena. By R. Lydekker. 



[Keceived June 12, 1899.] 



In no zoological nor distributional work ^ with which I am ac- 

 quainted can I find any reference to the alleged occurrence of a 

 Manati in St. Helena. Nevertheless, there are records to the 

 effect that an animal going by that name formerly inhabited that 

 island. For example, Mr. J. C. Melliss, in his work on St. Helena', 

 definitely states that a Manati once occurred there, and goes so far 

 as to express his opinion that it was specifically identical either 

 with Trichechus umericamis or T. senigalensis. I am also informed 

 by my friend Mr. R. A. Sterndale, now Governor of the island, 

 that Manatis were formerly of such frequent occurrence that there 

 was a regular government duty on each one killed. 



' Both Mr. Wallace in ' Island Life ' and Messrs. Sclater in the ' Geography 

 of Mammals' are silent on this subject. 



* ' St. Helena : a Physical, Historical, and Topographical Description ol tiie 

 Island.' London, 1875, pp. 86 & 87. 



