1862.] MR. R. SWINHOK ON THE MAMMALS OF FORMOSA. 351 



hang the sea, and in the solitary caverns makes its abode. On the 

 treeless mountain in the S.W., called Apes' Hill, it was at one time 

 especially abundant, but has since almost entirely disappeared. About 

 the mountains of the north and east it is still numerous, being fre- 

 quently seen playing and chattering among the steep rocks, miles from 

 any tree or wood. It seems to be quite a rock-loving animal, seeking 

 the shelter of caves during the greater part of the day, and assembling 

 in parties in the twilight, and feeding on berries, the tender shoots 

 of plants, grasshoppers, Crustacea, and Mollusca. In the summer it 

 comes in numbers during the night, and commits depredations among 

 the fields of sugar-cane, as well as among fruit-trees, showing a par- 

 tiality for the small, round, clustering berries of theLongan {Nephelium 

 longanum). In the caverns among these hills they herd ; and in June 

 the females may frequently be seen in retired parts of the hills, with 

 their solitary young ones at their breasts. These animals betray 

 much uneasiness at human approach, disappearing in no time, and 

 skulking in their holes till the intruder has passed. They seem, too, 

 to possess abundance of self-complacence and resource ; for I have 

 frequently seen a Monkey seated on a rock by himself, chattering 

 and crying merely for his own amusement and gratification. What- 

 ever Mr. Waterton may say of the tree-loving propensity of Mon- 

 keys in general, it is very certain that this species shows a marked 

 preference for bare rocks, covered only with grass and bush ; for if 

 he preferred the forest, he might very easily satisfy his desire by re» 

 tiring a few miles further inland, where he would find it in abundance. 

 But, on the contrary, in the forest he is only an occasional intruder, 

 resorting thither when food fails him on the grassy hills by the sea, 

 where he loves to make his home. 



Rock-Monkeys are also found, I am told, in the island of Lintin, 

 near Hongkong, as well as on a few other islands on the Chinese coast ; 

 but, as I have never seen any of them, I am unable to say whether 

 they are of the same species as the Formosan. The Chinese have a 

 fanciful idea that the tail of the Monkey is a caricature of the Tar- 

 tar pendant into which they twist their long back hair, and they 

 invariably chop it oif any Monkey that comes into their possession. 

 Hence the difliculty of procuring Monkeys in China with perfect 

 tails. 



2. Ursus tibetanus ? Sun-Bear of Formosa. Chinese, Jin- 

 heung. 



This appears to be a rare animal in the island, found only in the 

 highest mountains of the interior. It is much valued by the Chinese 

 for the medicinal property of its flesh and bones, as also for the 

 dainty dish afforded by its paws. I offered large sums for an entire 

 animal, without success. At last, through the civility of a high 

 mandarin, I was enabled to procure the mutilated skin that I have 

 brought home. This skin appears to carry the white crescent-mark 

 on the back ; but on being carefully examined by Dr. Gray, that 

 gentleman saw at once that the animal had been skinned from the 

 back, and that in nature the white mark ornamented the breast. 



