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Show 58 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE MAMMALS OF [Jan. 19, 1. H E R P E S T E S A U R O P U N C T A T U S B I R M A N I C U S l, var. nov.2 a. Boori bazar, 11/3/81. This specimen belongs to a race which for some time both Mr. Blanford and I have thought to be new, and of which the Museum possesses two other specimens, one from "Burma" (probablyTonghu) presented by Mr. R. G. Wardlaw-Ramsay and exhibited to this Society as H. auropunctatus by Mr. Alston in 1879 3; and the other from Pegu (10/4/81) presented and collected by M r . Eugene Oates. Mr. Blanford has also in his o w n collection a specimen of it from Cachar. These four specimens are all nearly precisely alike and differ from ordinary Nepalese H. auropunctatus by their larger size, heavier build and slightly darker coloration, their superiority in size being especially well marked in their skulls and dentition. The following are the comparative measurements of M r . Oates's Pegu specimen, which I will consider as the type of the variety, and of the type of H. auropunctatus frHoema dN epal, a fully adult male :- and body. mm. H. auropunctatus, type4, tf . . 320 Var. birmanicus, 3 392 Tail. mm. 212 214 Hind foot. mm. 48 555 Skulls :- H. auropunctatus, Var. birmanicus, Length. Breadth. 59-0 30-0 62-7 34-0 Teeth.-Greatest diameter of pm4 H. auropunctatus, 70 Var. birmanicus, 8*0 Incisors Palate- Palate- to cranial length, breadth, cross-line. axis6. 33-0 19-5 23-0 23"0 34-0 21-8 23-0 25.3 Greatest breadth of p m 4 at right angles to greatest m 1 m2 diameter. 5-9 3-0 3-2 6-4 3-1 3-6 It is possible that this variety will hereafter have to be raised to 1 The question as to whether this should be " birmanicus" or "burmanus" has given rise to much doubt. Eoma makes romanus and therefore Burma should make burmanus, especially as Burma is undoubtedly the correct, and the French Birmanie an incorrect and corrupt form of the name. Unfortunately, however, not only have the French corrupted the word into Birmanie, but the Italians, to whom we must look as the representatives of the ancient Komans, have also made the same change, calling it " Birmania," whence " birmanicus" which I think we must accept as the nearest to the proper Latin for Burmese. 2 Preliminary diagnosis in Ann. Mag. N. H. (5) xvii. p. 4, Jan. 1886. 3 P. Z. S. 1879, p. 665. 1 Measurements taken as explained, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 65, except that in deference to what is now becoming the common practice, I take the "length of skull" from the front of the premaxillse to the basion, instead of to the back of the condyles. 5 In the Manipur specimen 58 m m . 6 Combined lengths of basioccipital and basisphenoid, not including pre-phenoid as accidentally stated before. |
