XX INTRODUCTION. 



The species of porcupine which occurs in Western Yunnan seems to be inter- 

 mediate between the Eastern Chinese short-crested porcupine and an allied species 

 in the Himalaya, both of which are nearly related to the small short-crested 

 porcupine of Bengal, which, in its form as in its pronounced burrowing habits, is 

 very distinct from the long-crested porcupine of Southern and Western India — a 

 species which is hardly specifically separable from the large porcupine of Southern 

 Europe and of North and North-Western Africa. 



The musteline genus Selictis is represented in Western Yunnan by a species, 

 S. moscliata, specifically distinct from H. nipalensis of the Himalaya. It would 

 appear probable that the species of the genus Lutra and its sub-genus Aonyx are 

 specifically identical with the species found in the Himalaya. The different 

 species of otter, however, found in the Indian section of the Oriental region are not 

 at all rightly understood. An otter occurs in Bengal and in the Himalaya with 

 a considerably flattened head and a somewhat spatulate muzzle, the skull of which 

 is hardly distinguishable from the skull of the European otter; and this form 

 would appear to be the Lutra nair of Cuvier, with which the L. incUca, Gray, is 

 identical. Another otter also occurs in Bengal with a deep head and a short deep 

 muzzle, and a skull quite distinct from that of X. nair^ as the postorbital portion 

 is long and tumid, and in these features markedly different from the skull of Z. ?iair, 

 in which the postorbital region is contracted. Both of these otters are very closely 

 allied to species which occur in the mountain streams of Western Yunnan asso- 

 ciated with Ij. {Aonyx) leptonyx, an otter which has a wide distribution in the 

 Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese regions. The musteline genus Meles {Arctonyx) 

 is represented in Western Yunnan by the same species which occurs in the Assam 

 region. 



On the higher mountain ranges to the east, in the neighbourhood of Sanda and 

 Teng-yue-chow, and associated with a number of Palseartic types, is found y^lurus, 

 specifically identical with the so-called Cat-bear of the Himalaya. Erom the 

 number of skins which are used for the decoration of the head-dresses of the Military 

 officials, the species would appear to be very prevalent, and to have a much greater 

 numerical development than in the Himalaya. 



I learned of the existence of a black bear in the Kakhyen hills, and indeed of 

 its occurrence also in the mountain ranges generally to the east of Bhamo, and 

 observed one skin which, from its general character, led me to conclude that it might 

 probably be Ursus tibetanm ; but as there was, however, some doubt regarding this 

 skin, I resolved to omit any reference to the species, except in this Introduction. 

 Since the last Expedition, however, I have instituted enquiries on the eastern frontier 

 of Burma regarding the species of bear said to occur there, and, as a result, the 



