

360 Letter on the Zoology [ApRit, 



teeth of the hog-, and the molar teeth of the Peccary*. It was without 

 tail, and although a female, no mammae were discoverable, while the vulva 

 was so with difficulty. The hair was exceedingly coarse, much more 

 so than that of the hog- generally is ; the eyes strongly resembled those 

 of that animal, the ears more rounded than his, and deeply seated in a 

 kind of groove in the head. The height was about 10^ inches, and 

 the length from the tip of the tail to the vent 22J inches, measured in 

 a straight line. It is to be regretted that the feet of this animal did not 

 accompany the skin ; but, as it is, there are sufficient grounds to con- 

 jecture the existence between Sus and Dicotyles. It was shot at JBish- 

 nath in central Assam, where it was discovered among some long grass, 

 in which it ran, and from which it could not be driven : in this respect 

 differing altogether from the manners of the hog, when similarly hunted. 



While at Maulmain, the same gentleman was informed of the exis- 

 tence of a black tiger. This may be the Felis melas, which has been 

 supposed to inhabit the Island of Java only; and which Mr. Temminck 

 according to Lesson, for I am at present unable to consult Temminck's 

 monograph of the family f, believes to be a variety of leopard. Its 

 discovery in a new locality is to be desired. 



The wild cow is also a native of Tenasserim. The species may be 

 the same as the Bos frontalis of Sylhet. Of other Ruminantia, deer 

 are met with in great numbers, and probably new species, of their kind, 

 and of the antelope may be discovered. Mr. Phayre was also told of a 

 goat with one horn, resembling the celebrated unicorn (it may be of 

 fable) ; a hint worth following up, for should there after all be no such 

 animal, yet it is very likely some species will be discovered whose pecu- 

 liarities gave rise to the story. 



Of herbivorous Cetacea, the Halicore or Dugong is known to be 

 a native of the seas of our southeastern provinces : and specimens of 

 this animal would be valuable in a museum. Of piscivorous Cetacea,' 

 various species are also inhabitants of those seas, and probably new 

 ones may be discovered, should you have the means of searching after 

 them. The Chinese, dubious, and Mack Dolphins ( Delphinus Sinen- 



* After this letter was written and sent to Dr. Helfer I have been able to 

 examine minutely the dental system of this specimen ; and find that the last molars 

 are present in the jaw though yet undeveloped, thus making the molars the same in 

 number as those of the hog. The specimen may nevertheless be a distinct species 

 though it cannot form a separate genus. 



f 1 have since seen this monograph as given in the Zoological Journal, according 

 to which M. Temminck states, that young have been found in the leopard's lair, 

 one black and the other of the usual color. 



