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Show 330 ON THE WHITE-MANED SEROW. [Nov. 28r In his note of 1890, Dr. Henry described the White-maned Serow as being as tall as a cow, and employed by the natives of Central China for riding and as a beast of burden. This, I think, is somewhat exaggerating matters (unless a very small breed of cattle is referred to), and a good-sized donkey would seem to be a better standard of comparison. Although, from the circumstance that the skull still retains the last two premolars, and therefore indicates an animal not yet fully mature, it is possible that the specimen in the Museum does not quite represent the full height attained by the species, yet it certainly cannot fall very short of this, and, as mounted, the skin indicates an animal only about three inches taller than the ordinary Himalayan or (as it may well be called) Black-maned Serow. The general build and type of coloration approximate to those of the last-named animal, although in two respects there are marked peculiarities in the matter of colouxing. The horns are small and very thickly ringed for more than half their length, differing, I think, in these respects to some extent from those of the Himalayan animal, although, on account of the immaturity of the Museum specimen. I cannot be confident on these points. The ears certainly appear to be larger, but here again it is difficult to say that there may not have been shrinkage in the mounting of the Himalayan specimens. The general colour of the upper-parts is mingled black and white, but the face and outer surface of the ears are blackish brown, with an admixture of chestnut hairs on the upper part of the forehead and the sides of the upper lips. The insides of the ears and part of the muzzle are white, but the white area on the latter is of much smaller extent than in the Himalayan species, being confined to the margins of the upper lips, although wider on the lower lips, whence it extends as a streak on the sides of the jaws. A large patch on the throat, another on the chest, and the whole mane are dirty white. On the other hand, the lower portion of the buttocks, the whole hind limb (except a light streak inside), and the middle third of the tail are bright mahogany or ferruginous red. The fore legs from the knees downwards, and to some extent on their inner and outer sides above the latter, are of a lighter and more chestnut-red. The upward extension of the red of the legs and its deeper tone are features of this species as contrasted with the Himalayan and Sumatran Serows, which are best regarded as varieties of one species, the latter distinguished by the legs being chestnut in place of wholly white. It appears, however, that in some cases the Sumatran Serow has the mane white, as in the present animal. The prevalence of bright red, reddish yellow, and yellow in the colouring of mammals of the West Tibetan province, as exemplified by Rhinopithecus roxellance, Budorcas taxicolor tibetana, and the present species, is very remarkable, and stands in need of explanation. The skull belonging to the same individual as the skin is in a |
