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Show 1871.] MR. P. L. SCLATER ON ANIMALS IN THE MENAGERIE. 231 supposed at the time to be a hybrid, and was registered* as such in our books ; but I have now little doubt that it was purely bred. It died in 1868. In 1867 (July 17th), Mr. Bartlett bought for the Society four Lemurs, two Black-fronted and two Yellow-cheeked, which are all four still living in the Monkey-house. The former are females, and the latter males, and they always go together in pairs, and are considered by the keepers to be males and females of the same species. I exhibit a drawing, prepared by Mr. Smit, of one of these pairs, and propose to rearrange the synonyms of the two sexes under the first-given name of Lemur mongoz, as follows :- LEMUR MONGOZ. (Plate XVI. fig. 1 $, fig. 2 cf.) Male. Lemur mongoz, Van der Hoeven, Tijdschr. xi. p. 34. Lemur collaris, Geoffr. Ann. d. Mus. xix. p. 161 ; Wagner, Saugeth. v. p. 143; ls. Geoffr. Cat. de M a m m . p. 72. Female. The Mongooz, Edwards, Glean, v. p. 12, t. 216. Lemur mongoz, Linn. S. N. p. 44 ; Fischer, Syn. M a m m . p. 75. Lemur nigrifrons, Geoffr. Ann. d. M . xix. p. 160 ; Fischer, ibid. p. 77 ; Van der Hoeven, Tijdschr. xi. p. 35 Bennett, Gard. & Men. Z.S. i. p. 301. Lemur dubius, F. Cuv. M a m m . pl. 93 (fig. exact). Lemur mongoz, var. /3, Wagner, Saugeth. v. p. 144. Diagn.- <S griseo-brunneus : genis et collari fiavescentibus. $ rufo-grisea, nucha humerisque canis : gula alba : fascia frontali nigra : facie albicante. It may be remarked in favour of this view that both the specimens of Lemur collaris in the Paris Museum are marked males, that F. Cuvier expressly states that his Lemur dubius is a female, and that Mr. Bennett (Gard. & Men. /. s. ci) states that both the Black-fronted Lemurs in the Society's Gardens in 1831 were females f. But after all I only submit this view as an hypothesis to be confirmed by subsequent investigation. 14. LEMUR BRUNNEUS, V. cl. Hoeven. Dr. Gray's type of Prosimia melanocephala (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 137, pl. 138) was received from the Society's collection in December 1855. W e have now in the Gardens a female Lemur, purchased July 23rd last, which appears to be of the same species. I may add that I am inclined to think it will turn out to be the same as the Maki a front noir, Lemur nigrifrons, of F. Cuvier (Mamm. pl. 92), but not of Geoffroy, which Van der Hoeven has * See P. Z. S. 1865, p. 860, and List of Vert. ed. iv. p. 13. t Since these notes were read, I have examined the specimens of this Lemur in the gallery of the British Museum, and find the males marked Lemur collaris and the females Lemur nigrifrons. |