1862.] MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE MAMMALS OF FORMOSA. 349 



tative species on the plains of China. It is, however, probable that, 

 if we were better acquainted with the fauna of the hilly regions of 

 the interior of China, we should find quite intermediate forms. On 

 the whole, I am rather surprised that the isolation of the island has 

 not tended to diversify animal forms more than it appears to have 

 done. On the mountains of the interior, were they properly explored, 

 we should doubtless discover more novelties ; but the regions of the 

 plains appear to agree, in flora as well as in fauna, almost entirely 

 with the plains of the Chinese mainland. The Monkey is an ani- 

 mal frequenting the coast, and, in all probability, when we ascertain 

 the rock-species found on some of the small groups of Chinese islands, 

 we shall find them identical. The Sun-Bear is wondronsly close to 

 the Indian species, and, if the same, is sure to occur in some of 

 the inner ranges of China. The Leopard is undoubtedly peculiar, 

 and, I think, confined to the island. The Wild Cat and the Civet are 

 certainly the Chinese species, the former having an extended range 

 throughout tropical and semitropical Asia. The Paguma is a Chinese 

 form, showing an insular variation, incipient, so to speak, and scarcely 

 strong enough in its distinctness to warrant specific separation. The 

 Helictis and the Mole have felt the varying force of isolation and 

 adaptation to peculiar circumstances, — the mountain-influences se- 

 questrating the former from its Chinese ally, and making it affine to 

 a cognate mountain species in the Himalayas. 



The Squirrels are so similar to the Himalayan species, that I can- 

 not believe the result produced by climatal causes, and have little 

 doubt that future research will bring to light their occurrence in the 

 intermediate hilly and wooded ranges of China. Of the larger spe- 

 cies a close ally occurs in China, the Sciurus cinnamomeiventi-is ; but, 

 it strikes me, this latter animal is from the plain-country, and that 

 the mountains will be yet found to yield the true Himalayan type, 

 which occurs in Formosa, viz. the S. erythraus. The two Flying 

 Squirrels we should expect to find distinct, as they vary in almost 

 every island. The Pig I cannot speak about with certainty ; but if a 

 true Porcula, the fact would be greatly interesting, as more imme- 

 diately connecting Formosa with the Himalayan chain. No Porcula 

 is known to occur in China ; but there is no reason why it should not 

 have existed in former times, and been destroyed by its larger congener 

 the Wild Boar (^Sus scrofa) from the north. The Mountain- Deer 

 are interesting as being the only species that offer most variation 

 from their cognate China forms ;• but this may arise through igno- 

 rance on our part with regard to the Wild Deer of China, There is 

 certainly a strong resemblance between the Cervus taivanus and the 

 smaller C. sika of Japan, and between the Deer Goat of Formosa 

 and the Capricornis crispa of Japan ; and indeed these two appear to 

 offer the only resemblance between the fauna of these two countries. 

 I should, however, judging by analogy, be rather inclined to derive both 

 these FormosanCerwjt^iE from allied species that did exist in past times, 

 and perhaps do even now exist in the unexplored parts of the oppo- 

 site mainland. Geologists are, I understand, strong in the belief that 

 Formosa was originally connected with Japan on the north and the 



