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Show 634 MR. W. T. BLANFORD ON THE FAUNA OF TIBET. [June 20, Lagomys ladacensis ( = L. cur- 1 Lagomys curzonia (1=L. tibe-zonia, Stol. nee Hodgs.). W . tanus). E. Layomys auritus. W. UNGULATA. Equus hemionus. Ovis nahura. Bos grunniens. Capra sibirica. Ovis hodgsoni. Panthalops hodgsoni. Ovis vignei. W . Gazella picticauda. It is possible that Budorcas taxicolor, the Musk-deer, and Cervus affinis should be added; but I have grave doubts as to whether any of these are really found on the Tibetan plateau. Budorcas may, like Nemorhadus and Hemitragus, be Himalayan, whilst I suspect that the Musk-deer and Cervus affinis belong to the Boreal or Palaearctic types of the Himalayan alpine fauna already referred to. I feel also very doubtful whether Lagomys curzonia is the species found in the Tibetan valleys north of Sikkim. The Chumbi valley, whence Lagomys curzonia and Cervus affinis are said to have been procured, belongs politically to Tibet, but it is Cis-Himalayan. I should point out that this slight correction in no way invalidates any of Herr v. Pelzeln's views. There are a few errors in matters of detail, such as the inclusion of Gazella, Antilope, and Mellivora in the list of Malay genera, on the ground, apparently, of their supposed occurrence in Nipal. This must, I think, be due to the British-Museum catalogues of Mr. Hodgson's collections, in which a considerable number of animals are included, obtained from other parts of India than Nipal, although there is no means afforded by the catalogue of distinguishing them from the species collected in the Himalayas. In conclusion I can only call attention to the very interesting palaeontological suggestions at the end of Herr v. Pelzeln's papers. He considers the Malay fauna to be allied to that which inhabited Europe in older Miocene times, while he associates the newer Miocene mammalian fauna of Europe and India with that inhabiting the Ethiopian region at the present day. I can only remark upon this that several of the early Miocene forms of Europe (e. g. Erinaeeus, Castor, Myoxus, Cricetodon, Hyomoschus, Antilope) are not Malay forms at present, and that the last two are African, whilst part of the apparent similarity is perhaps due to the warm climate of the early Miocene epoch in Europe-and that the Indian Sevaliks are much more probably Pliocene than Miocene. It is, however, very unfair to dismiss a carefully reasoned argument with a criticism of this kind ; and I only regret that, just at present, time will not allow me to do justice to Herr v. Pelzeln's views. |