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Show 230 MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE MAMMALS OF HAINAN. [Apr. 28, colour of its fur, in its broader and flatter ear, its minute abrupt nails, and its much smaller size. By its long well-webbed toes and shape of underfoot it approaches Lutra; but in the blunt form of the claws it is a true Aonyx. The first toe of the hind foot is proportionally much longer than in L. chinensis ; its second and fifth are nearly equal, reaching to the middle of the second digit of the third and fourth toes, which are also nearly equal in length. The immature skin has the right hind foot remaining, which shows the same build of toes and nails. While at A m o y in 1867 I procured a live Otter, from a ship which brought it from Saigon, Cochin China. When alive it was very tame, and followed its keeper about like a Dog. It was handled and caressed without its ever attempting to bite; but when put into a cage, or otherwise confined, it uttered a loud unceasing cry, which was most anuoying. From the shortness of its head and its small size it was distinguishable at a glance from the common Chinese species. It would eat almost any thing in the way of food. This specimen has the peculiar short claws of Lutra leptonyx of Horsfield, but has a shorter, deeper-brown fur, and diminutive toes. Dr. J. E. Gray has examined the skull, and pronounced it not to differ from that of a specimen from India, figured in P. Z. S. 1865, p. 130 ; and its external form, I find, agrees with that of skins of the short-toed race irom Madras in the British Museum. Dr. Jerdon (Mamm. of India) does not separate the Indian Aonyx from that of Java; no more does Dr. J. E. Gray, though the latter considers A. indigitata (Hodgs.), of Nepaul, distinct. Unfortunately, there is no skull of the Nepaulese animal in the Museum ; but the skin there has a similar foot to that of the Madras Otter above referred to, but differs in being paler with lighter underparts. Short-toed Otter from Saigon, 6*. Length 26 inches; tail 9^ length of head 4, from ear to ear across head 3, eye (outer angle) to eye across head 1*1; fore leg (shoulder to tip of toes) 7*8, ulnar joint to tip of toes 4*25 ; hind leg 9, tibial joint to tip of toes 3*4 ; sole of fore foot 1*25, from sole to tip of fourth toe beyond *4, breadth of sole *75; length of hind sole 1*6, toes beyond *5, breadth of hind sole '65. Toes imperfectly webbed. Lips, cheeks, sides of neck, throat, and face-bristles buff-white. The rest of the fur dark brown, paler on the underparts, and much so on the chest. Down short and close, yellowish or buff-white on the lighter parts, browner on the upper or darker parts. Pelage very short and glossy. Ears small and rounded, covered with short hair. Hair on fore feet extremely short, on tail short and close. 11. THE THIBETAN BLACK BEAR. Ursus tibetanus (F. Cuv.). A large black shaggy skin was shown me in Hainan as having been taken from an animal in that island. I judged it to be of this species rather than of Ursus malayanus, Horsf. Bears are shot with poisoned arrows by the wild tribes of the mountains. The Hainan Gazetteer has the following passage:-" Heung [or Bear] is fond of climbing trees and panting. Its gall in spring is in its heel, in |