OCR Text |
Show 1870.] Mtt. R. SWINHOE ON CHINESE MAMMALS. 639 the usual white rings; interspersed among these are a few long thin quills, chiefly white, and reaching a foot or more in length. Skin below the quills flesh-white, sprinkled with scattered tawny hairs, which occur amongst the bristles as well. Footpads brown; claws brownish horn-colour. The Porcupine occurs in Hainan (see anted, p. 233), but in Formosa I have never detected it. The Taiwanfoo Gazetteer (a Chinese work), however, includes it in its list of the natural productions of that island. It describes it as "covered with arrows like the quills of the Hedgehog, which make a rustling noise when the creature walks. These arrows it can dart at people, but not to a greater distance than from eight to ten feet." 70. LEPUS SINENSIS. ( Chinese Hare.) Lepus sinensis, Gray, Hardwicke's 111. Ind. Zool. ; Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1862, p. 359. This small, coarse-haired little Hare is the only species in Formosa and South China. It is yellowish brown on the upper parts, the hairs being broadly tipped with black ; a little white occurs above and behind the eye. Ears about the length of the head, with a light buff rim, and a blackish-brown apical spot on the hinder surface ; a patch of light rust-colour on the hind neck ; legs and flanks a lighter shade of the same; belly and inside of thighs yellowish white ; tail brown on the upper surface, with a few black hairs intermingled ; its under surface light buff; under-fur of coloured parts light slate-colour. Hainan possesses a Hare of its own, m y L. hainanus (see anted, p. 233, Pl. XVIII.), and North China the L. tolai, Pall., in company with the species under notice. UNGULATA. 71. Sus LEUCOMYSTAX. (White-moustached Boar.) Sus leucomystax, Temm. & Schleg. In February 1869, Mr. Ludlam, an American gentleman at Shanghai, shot in the neighbourhood of that settlement two large wild Boars, and very kindly allowed me to take the skin and skull of one of them. This animal measured between five and six feet, and had a thin tail about ten inches in length ; length of skull 18 ; ear 3*75 in height. The upper parts of its skin are clothed with coarse black bristles, broadly tipped with light yellowish brown, and from 4 to 5 inches in length, longest on occiput and along the back ; the under-fur is yellowish brown, and like tow. Cheeks, under parts, and legs black ; abdomen, between thighs, anal region, and tail dingy white, the latter with a black tuft at tip. The moustache-mark is formed by broad whitish tips to the black bristles of face. Ear small and pointed, with white-tipped black bristles inside and on anterior surface, behind with black bristles, on the upper half forming a low fringe, bare at base and on the portion of the head where the ear rests. The under-fur on the lower parts is short and scanty. Nose sprinkled with a few short stiff hairs. The face is |