1898.] MK. K. IiTDBKKBE OK THE BANTINS. 277 



In his ' Mammals of British India,' Mr. Blanfoi'd included both 

 the insular and continental forms of the Banting under a single 

 name ; but since the publication of his work two memoirs have 

 appeared which leave no reasonable doubt of the existence of at 

 least one continental race distinct from the typical Javan representa- 

 tive of the species. The memoirs in question are one by Vet.- 

 Capt. Evans, published in the ' Jouru. Bombay Soc' for 1895 \ and 

 a second by Surg.-Capt. Wood in the 'Zoologist ' '" for 1897. A 

 mounted head in the British Museum, which has long puzzled me, 

 serves to show the accuracy of the observations published by the 

 first-named gentleman. 



As regards the general characteristics of Bos sondaicus, I have 

 nothing to add to those given by Mr. Blanford. The typical 

 Javan race is represented by a mounted specimen — one of the 

 cotypes — in the British Museum ; and although most of the hair 

 has been worn off by the handling of generations of visitors, it 

 remains on the head (Plate XXV. tig. 2) and on parts of one side 

 of the body and legs. 



In the Javan race, which attains a height of 5 feet 9| inches at 

 the shoulder, old bulls are described as being nearly black, with a 

 large white rump-patch, and white "stockings" to the legs. The 

 Museum specimen, although probably much faded, is very dark 

 chocolate-brown, becoming nearly black just above the knees, the 

 head being uniform with the back in colour. 



On the other hand, the mounted Burmese head is dirty grey, 

 with a light chestnut patch on the nose above the muzzle, 

 which is black ; the ears being also grey, with white margins. 

 Now, with the exception of the chestnut mark, this head accords 

 precisely with the description of a bull Burmese Banting by Vet.- 

 Capt. Evans ; the general body-colour in that specimen being 

 dark chestnut-red, with a large white rump-patch. A younger bull 

 mounted in the Museum, with the horny boss on the crown of the 

 head not yet developed, is of a light foxy red, with the face grey, 

 and a well-developed rump-patch. 



From this evidence it appears to me that the Burmese Banting, 

 which may be typified by the mounted head in the Museum (Plate 

 XXV. fig. 1), is entitled to rank as a distinct race, for which I suggest 

 the name of Bos sondaicus birmanicus. It may be characterized 

 by the dark chestnut-red body-colour of the adult bull, the greyish 

 face, and the well-developed rump-patch. Whether it is this or 

 the typical race that occurs in the Malay Peninsula I have at 

 present no information. 



With regard to the Manipur Banting, Surg.-Capt. Wood 

 describes the bull as only 5 feet in height, \vith the general body- 

 colour red, the greater part of the head tawny white, with a 

 greyish-white ring round the eyes, the tips and front margins of the 

 ears black, and no distinct white rump- patch, which is, however, 

 present in the cow. If these characters are rightly described, they 



1 Vol, X. p. 41. 2 ser. 4, vol. i. p. 489. 



