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Show 926 SIR V. BROOKE ON THE [Nov. 19, C. rufus, and is much more gracefully shaped. C. rufinus, when adult, is of a beautiful shining red, with the face and fore limbs strongly shaded with bluish brown, as shown in exaggeration in Pucheran's figure (vide supra) ; and C. nemorivagus is of a dull pepper-and-salt brown, and never becomes red at any age. 19. CARIACUS SUPERCILIARIS. 1850. Coassus superciliaris, Gray, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 242, pl. Hab. Brazil (fide Gray). 20. CARIACUS WHITELYI. 1873. Coassus whitelyi, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (ser. 4) xii. p. 163 ; id. Hand-list Edent. &c. 1873, p. 162, pl. 32. fig. 2. Hab. Peru. Founded on a single skull of an immature animal in Brit. Mus. (No. iu Cat. 73. 6. 27. 2). It is now many years since I commenced the study of this difficult group of Cervidae; but although I have examined the specimens contaiued in nearly all the continental museums, and made a private collection of some importance, I must confess that I am still far from a satisfactory understanding of the subject. The complete absence of cornual and cranial characters renders it exceedingly difficult to grasp the characteristic peculiarities of the different modifications of the form, six or seven of which are, I think, probably persistent, and worthy of specific recognition by naturalists. In the above list I have enumerated all the species (or supposed species) of which the types are extant, and must leave it to the future to decide whether they are valid or not. There is still much valuable work to be done amongst the Cervidae by collectors in South America, well-authenticated specimens from Rio Grande do Sul, Paraguay, South Brazil and Bolivia being almost a blank in European museums. The type of Coassus auritus, Gray, not having been preserved, I have omitted the name from my list, as without the type it will be impossible to decide with any certainty upon what species Dr. Gray's name was conferred. 8. PUDUA. 1850. Pudu (subgen.), Gray, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 242. Antlers minute simple spikes. Lacrymal pit oval, very deep, its antero-posterior extent slightly exceeding m. 3. Ascending rami of the praemaxillae reaching the nasals, which are considerably expanded between the moderate anteorbital vacuities. Auditory bullae as in Coassus. Molars without supplementary columns. Canines absent. Central incisors slightly expanded, but exceeding those external to them very much in size. Muzzle as in Cervulus, but with the internarial and infranarial portions less extensive. Neither tarsal nor metatarsal tufts. Ectocuneiform, navicular, and cuboid bones in tarsus united. Stature very small. Distribution. Chilian Andes. |
