104 The Mammals of the Sub-Himalayas and Tibet. 



just and sagacious, and his application of native names precisely such, 

 as has just been repeated by that accomplished and elegant writer, 

 Capt. Madden, (see As. Jour. No. 176.) 



The Marmots are next spoken of by your critic. Of these animals 

 there were described in 1843 two species, respectively inhabiting the 

 Himalayan region and Tibet ; and if your critic had confirmed or 

 refuted the supposed identity of the latter and larger of these with 

 the Bobac, he would have done some little service. As it is, he has 

 done nothing but carp at the careless language of a private letter. 



The bears form the next topic, the last and the gravest of your 

 critic, who, however confident and emphatic on this head, adds not 

 a particle of new information to our recorded stores, but, on the con- 

 trary, materially obscures the clearness of former lights. That there 

 are three Zoological regions between the crest or spine of the 

 Himalayas and the plains of India ; that the first region, comprising 

 the saul forest and lower hills, has little elevation, and consequently a 

 climate essentially plain-like ; that the second region, including the 

 central hills with elevations of from 3 to 9,000 feet, has a climate 

 similar to that of Southern Europe, or of the Mediterranean shores ; 

 that the third region embracing the higher mountains between the 

 elevations of 9 and 16,000 feet (the Zoological limit), has a climate 

 passing from that of central to that of Northern Europe ; that among 

 quadrupeds the three species of bear,* and among birds the jungle 

 fowls (Gallus), the fowl pheasants (Gallophasis), and the Monaul 

 pheasants (Lophophorus), belong so exclusively to these respective 

 regions, as to furnish an excellent popular demonstration of the sound- 

 ness of the triple division : all these are points long since laid down in 

 the first edition of the Catalogues of Nepalese and Tibetan Mammals, 

 wherein, as in subsequent editions, all the Mammals of those regions 

 are located upon that principle. What then does your critic add to 

 former knowledge upon this head ? Precisely nothing. Nay, he fur- 

 nishes a considerable array of errors ; which might be made a good 

 deal of to his disparagement, if paraded against him in the spirit 

 in which he has displayed Dr. Jameson's slightest inaccuracy. Your 



* Popularly so-called ; in fact the animals belong to three distinct genera or 

 Ursus — Helarctos and Melursus. 



