1840,] 



Mammalogy of the Himalayas, 



165 



pectiveI3^ The two former have been identified with the Cervus Hippe- 

 laphus and Cervus equinus of Cuvier, the latter certain!}'' without foun- 

 dation, and the former at least very doubtful ; the third, said to be unde- 

 sciibed, is probably the C. Aristotelis of Cuvier ; but the truth is, that 

 we know very little about them, nor are these different species mention- 

 ed by any other author besides Mr. Hodgson. The Cervm Hippelapfius, 

 indeed, called Saiimer or Samhre in the Plains, is well known in this 

 countr}', where he has long existed in our menageries, and is probably 

 the C. Aristotelis^ which is familiarly called Elk in the Hills, and of 

 which the native name in the British hill provinces is Jeroiv for the male, 

 and Malm for the female, names which have been not unfrequently ap- 

 plied to different species ; of the Phusro, or Hoary Jarai of Mr. Hodgson, 

 which, whatever else it may be, is certainly not the C. equinus^ since that 

 species does not inhabit Continental India, nothing is known but the 

 name, if, indeed, it be not a mere variety of sex or age. Lieut. Smith 

 describes the Jerow of the Hills as a larger and heavier animal, and with 

 finer horns, than the Saumer of the Plains : the tan and black colours of 

 these two species appears to identify them with the R.ato and Kdlo Jara'is 

 of Mr. Hodgson. 



No fewer than three species of deer, with characters approaching to 

 those of the common stag (C. ElapJius) of Europe, have been mentioned 

 as inhabitants of Nepal. Two of these, the Cervus Wallichii and 

 Cervus Duvaucellii of Cuvier, are known, though not so perfectly as 

 could be wished ; the third, which has been identified with the common 

 stag, appears to be founded upon error. Mr. Hodgson has briefly de- 

 scribed the Cervus Duvaucellii under the name of C Elaphoules^ and I 

 have seen a full-grown male in the Zoological Gardens ; the comparison 

 of the skull figured by Mr. Hodgson* with the horns in the Ossemens 

 Fossiles leaves no doubt as to the identity of the species. It is called in 

 Nepal Barahju, and, according to Mr. Hodgson, Maha in the Western 

 Hills, a name which, as observed above, Lieut. Smith applies to the 

 female Jerow. Cervus Wallichh, called Barah Singha, is mentioned by 

 Mr. Walterf as an inhabitant of the mountains of Siihet, and by Mr. 

 Hodgson,:]: who confounds it with the common stag, as found in the Saul 

 Forest, which skirts the foot of the Nepal Mountains, whence it was 

 originally sent to Calcutta by Dr. Wallich. There is no grounds for 

 supposing the existence of a third species of this group in the Hima- 

 layas, identical with the lied Deer of Europe (C. Elaphas), though the 



• Journ. Roy. As. Soc, IV., 648. 



+ Asiat. Res,, xvii., 499, * Loe. Cit. 



