Guemals 297 



Huamela leucotis, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. xi. p. 219 

 (1873), Hand- list Rami nan ts Brit. Mas. p. 160 (1873). 



Creagoceros chilensis, Fitzinger, SB. Ak. Wien, vol. lxviii. part i. p. 358 

 (1873), l xxv iii- P art i- P- 372 (1879). 



Cariacus chilensis, Brooke, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878, p. 923. 



Furcifer chilensis, Sclater, List Anim. Zool. Gardens, p. 178 (1883) ; 

 Nehring, SB. Ges. nat. Berlin, 1895, p. 12. 



Characters. — Nearly allied to the last, but of smaller size, and dis- 

 tinguished by the following details of form and coloration. Antlers stouter, 

 with the front prong more decidedly shorter than the hinder one, and the 

 fork occurring at a considerable distance above the burr, instead of close to 

 it. Fore part of face relatively deeper, with a distinctly convex profile ; 

 eyes placed wider apart. No dark line from the forehead to the nose ; 

 throat and fore-neck yellowish brown like the rest of the neck ; only a 

 small portion of the inner surface of the thigh and upper part of the 

 fore-leg white, the remainder of the limbs being yellowish brown. 



Distribution. — The Andes of Southern Chili and the whole of Patagonia ; 

 the animal being far more abundant in the southern than in the northern 

 portion of its range. 



The history of this species is somewhat remarkable. Ancient travellers 

 in Chili brought reports of a cloven-hoofed animal known to the natives as 

 guemal, or huemal. This animal Molina regarded as a horse, to which 

 he gave the name Equus bisulcus ; although his description is very vague, 

 the specific name is adopted. Leuckart renamed it Hippocamelus dubius, 

 both names being objectionable. Hamilton Smith regarded it as a llama, 

 under the name of Auchenia huamel. Lesson's generic name of Cervequus 

 is nearly as objectionable as Hippocamelus} 



This deer is an inhabitant of the mountain-valleys of the Cordilleras in 

 situations where dense forests afford it a suitable habitat ; during the winter, 

 however, it descends to the plains, but never wanders any distance from the 

 foot of the mountains. In Western Patagonia it is by no means uncommon ; 

 and it is there hunted by the Indians, who call it guamul, guemul, or 

 huamel, and bring down the skins to Carmen and Bahia Blanca on the 

 Atlantic sea-board. 



1 If this name is adopted, it antedates Mazama, and therefore will have to stand for all the American 

 deer, if they are included in one genus. 



2 Q. 



