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Show 238 MR. It. SWINHOE ON THE MAMMALS OF HAINAN. [Apr. 28, Cow." The Water-Cow is the ordinary Chinese Buffalo, used for tillage and draught throughout the warmer parts of China. In Central Hainan (Taipingsze) nearly all I saw were albinoes-that is, had pink flesh, white hair, and red eyes. The term Yellow Cow refers in South China to a small, short-homed, straight-backed breed, which used to occur wild in Formosa a century or two ago. I saw few of these, however, in Hainan. Most of'the domestic cattle there were more or less humped, and seemed to be a cross between the Yellow Cow and the Indian humped breed. They were of much the same size as the Yellow Cow, but were in many cases brindled and patched like our home cattle. The South-China cattle are generally of a uniform yellowish-brown or black colour, sometimes with more or less white on the head, feet, and belly. "Horses.-There are many white and sorrel-coloured. A work on geography of the former Han dynasty describes Tanurh and Choogai (divisions into which the Chinese possessions in Hainan were then divided) as having neither Tigers nor Horses. The old Gazetteer also says, ' Horses do not count among the natural productions of Hainan.' In the present day Tigers do not exist there, but Horses are produced in abundance." The said Horses are, of course, only Ponies of the small South China breed, with well moulded and compact limbs, rather large head, and long tail. They are not much used, except by officials. "Yang (or Goat).-There are Hill-goats and Manure-goats. The former are driven out to pasture over the land and find their own food. The latter are shut up when small in floored and covered pens, and fed on cut grass and leaves. Their feet never touch the ground. They grow very fat and are excellent in flavour." All the Goats I saw pasturing on the hills were black, with yellow irides. Their hair was rather short and coarse, their horns about the length of the head ; and they had the usual chin-tuft. It is the ordinary breed of South China and Formosa. " Y u shoo, also called Seng shoo, with a long body and large tail, is capable of suppressing Snakes and Vipers; is also fond of seizing Rats, birds, and poultry. In the work Kwang ya it is called Shoo-lang (Rat Wolf). The following verse from the Chuen-tsze refers to this creature:-' Can the Ke-ke (warrior's charger) catch Rats like the Leseng?' " This is the Mustela sibirica, Pallas. Where the House-rat is abundant in Chinese towns this Weasel is pretty sure to occur also. It is as common in Amoy as in Tientsin. "Kow (Dog).-These are yellow, black, white, banded, all colours. Those that hang the feet with soles upturned are called Keuen. Those with long muzzles can be used for tilling the fields." The commonest Dog kept by the Chinese in Hainan is the one generally seen in South China, a larger breed of what is known as the " Wolf Dog" in England. There was another race, with shorter and blunter head, short hair usually of a brindled colour, of rather larger make, and bigger-boned. There were also what appeared to be Mongrels between these two. I have noticed the second race as also occurring |