i-.'roi; 
THE NAJ^R ^'lAZA^'IA A^'^D NA?!ES OF THE MOUNTAIN OOAT. 
By C. Hart Merriarn. 
Washington, D. 0., June 18, 1897. 
Rev. Eakl M. Wilbur, 
Secretary Mazamas. 
Dear Mr. Wilbur : 
The information you wanted and which I promised you about the use of the 
name Mazanui," has proved a Uttle more difficult to get together than I expected, 
and what I am sending you must be regarded as incomplete, though the synonymy 
accompanying is probably sufficient for your purpose. I am indebted to my assis- 
tant, Dr. T. S. Palmer, for assistance in this matter. 
The uses of the word " Mazama" as a scientific name are as follows : In Sep- 
tember, 1817f it wa:^ published by Ratinesque in the American Monthly Magazine 
for a genus of South American deer. This being the first use of the name in a 
generic sense, it must stand, and cannot be used for any other genus, although it 
has been proposed for at least two others. Thus in 7837 it was applied by Ogilby 
to our North American antelope, and in 1850 by Gray to our Mountain Goat. 
In 1827 it was used for a subgenus of deer by Hamilton Smith, and in the 
same year was used as a specific name for a species of "ovine antelope" named 
Aplocerus mazama, said to occur in the rocky forests and mountains of tropical 
America. What this animal is we do not know— possibly the Fudu. Going back 
to pre-Linniean days^ Klein (in 1751) speaks of a Tragulus mazame, and Seba of a 
Tragulus temamagama. 
The use of the word 'Mazama " as a common or vernacular name seems to 
date from Fernandez in 1651. Mazame and Madame are the forms used, and the 
name seems to have been applied to a Mexican deer or antelope, perhaps both 
Lichtenstein, in a paper on Fernandez' Mammals, states that Mazame or Magame 
is the plural of Magatl, deer. 
" Mazame " was used by Buffon, d'Azara, and others the latter part of the 
last and beginning of the present century, but in all cases seems to have been based 
on Fernandez. Doubtless many other references might be added, but pre-Linniean 
literature is hardly in our line, and the necessary books are not at hand. 
Very truly yours, 
C. HART MERRIAM. 
List of Scientific Names Applied to the Mountain Goat 
(Oreamnos Montanus).^ 
1815. Ovis montana Ord, Guthrie's Geog., II. 292, 309. 
1816. Antilope {Rupicapra) americana Blainville, Nouv. Bull. Soc. Philom., 
73, 80. 
