330 ON THE WHITE-JVIANED SEROW. [JSToV. 28^ 



In his note of 1890, Dr. Henry described the White- maned 

 Serow as being as tall as a cow, and employed by the natives of 

 Central China for riding and as a beast of burden. This, I think, 

 is somewhat exaggerating matters (unless a very small breed of 

 cattle is referred to), and a good-sized donkey would seem to be a 

 better standard of comparison. Although, from the circumstance 

 that the skull still retains the last two premolars, and therefore 

 indicates an animal not yet fully mature, it is possible that the 

 specimen in the Museum does not quite represent the full height 

 attained by the species, yet it certainly cannot fall very short of 

 this, and, as mounted, the skin indicates an animal only about 

 three inches taller than the ordinary Himalayan or (as it may 

 well be called) Black-maned tSerow. 



The genei-al build and type of coloration approximate to those 

 of the last-named animal, although in two respects there are 

 marked peculiarities in the matter of colouring. The horns are 

 small and very thickly ringed for more than half their length, 

 differing, I think, in these respects to some extent from those of 

 the Himalayan animal, although, on account of the immatiu'ity 

 of the Museum specimen, I cannot be confident on these points. 

 The ears certaiidy appear to be larger, but here again it is difficult 

 to say that there may not have been shrinkage in the mounting- 

 of the Himalayan specimens. 



The general colour of the upper-parts is mingled black a,nd 

 white, but the face and outer surface of the ears are blackish 

 brown, with an admixture of chestnut hairs on the upper part of 

 the forehead and the sides of the uj)per lips. The insides of the 

 ears and part of the muzzle are white, but the white area on the 

 latter is of much smaller extent than in the Himalayan species, 

 being confined to the margins of the upper lips, although wider 

 on the lower lips, whence it extends as a streak on the sides of the 

 jaws. A large patch on the throat, another on the chest, and 

 the whole mane are dirty white. On the other hand, the lower 

 portion of the buttocks, the whole hind limb (except a light 

 streak inside), and the middle third of the tail are bright mahogany 

 or ferruginous red. The fore legs from the knees downwards, 

 and to some extent on their inner and outer sides above the 

 latter, are of a lighter and more chestnut-red. 



The upward extension of the red of the legs and its deeper tone 

 are features of this species as contrasted with the Himalayan and 

 Sumatran Serows, which are best regarded as varieties of one 

 species, the latter distinguished by the legs being chestnut in place 

 of wholly white. It appears, however, that in some cases the 

 Sumatran Serow has the mane white, as in the present aiiimal. 



The prevalence of bright red, reddish yellow, and yellow in the 

 colouring of mammals of the West Tibetan province, as exemplified 

 by Rhinopithecus Q^oxellance, Budorcas taxicolor tihetana, and the 

 present species, is very remarkable, and stands in need of 

 explanation. 



The skull belonging to the same individual as the skin is in a 



