422 Note on the Zoology [Ave. 
“In one of Burron’s Supplements it seems the Cervus Muntjak is described as of 
a greyish brown colour : if this be just, Cervus Muntjak will constitute probably a 
distinct species from Rdtwa ; and I cannot help thinking that, in such case, the two 
ought to be sectionally at least separated from Cervus.” 
The meaning of its being sectionally separated is not very obvious. 
If he means, as is probable, that the Muntjak and its kind are generical- 
ly different from the genus Cervus, he is quite correct, and he will find 
on reference to Cuvier that this separation has been already made. 
The new genus contains five species, natives of Java, the Phillipines, 
Malacca, Nepal, and several other countries. 
But, to return to the. author, it is certain that differences of shades 
of colour can hardly be a sufficient warrant for instituting a new species, 
though perhaps it may, by taking some latitude, a variety; colour in 
the whole ruminantie being liable to variation by many contingent cir- 
cumstances, such as climate, season, age, sex, &c. If, therefore, 
there is nothing to warrant the measure of separating Mr. Hopeson’s 
Muntjak, from that of Pennant, but the circumstance of the one being 
fulvous and the other greyish brown, the specific separation cannot be 
allowed. 
But the Cervus Muntjak, sent from Sumatra, is in every instance 
of a fulvous, or reddish brown, the colour it would appear, of Mr. Hone- 
son’s specimens. The individual described in Burron’s supplement 
was probably aged, if so the difference may readily be accounted for by 
the knowledge of the fact, that as old age comes on, the fulvous is 
gradually obliterated by the grey. The thickening of the pedestals of 
the horns at the top in the ‘‘ form a rose,” and the meaning of which 
Mr. Hopeson ‘‘ cannot divine,” is also merely a sign of age. 
Thus there is little doubt of the identity of the Muntjak of Pennant, 
Burron, SHAaw, and Hopeson : and there is reason to believe, this 
species extends in a continued range, from the eastern Islands to Ni- 
pal, through the whole Indian continent. Two horns attached to the 
frontal bone are now in Calcutta, which correspond in every respect 
with the description of Mr. Hopeson and Sir T. S. Rarruus, and 
which were found at Jellasur, in the district of Midnapir, province 
of Orissa ; and several fawns were brought into Midnapér in the year 
1831. They all died young, before the horns were developed ; yet 
their general appearance and the form of the cranium left no doubt of 
their belonging to this genus. 
Mr. Hopeson, however, if he has failed to establish a new species. 
of Stylocerus (as the genus or subgénus is now called), has cleared up 
one point, that relating to the two antlers or projections on the horns, 
