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Show 1886.] THE HUME COLLECTION. 65 17. M u s CERVICOLOR, Hodgs. a. Boori-bazar, 11/3/81. This is evidently Blyth's M. cunicularis1 described from the Khasia hills, and bears out my suspicion that that is merely a synomym of M. cervicolor2. 18. VANDELEURIA OLERACEA, Bean. a, b. Boori-bazar, 11/3/81. Dr. Anderson (Zool. Yunn. Exp. p. 313, 1878) has already noted the presence of this interesting little species in Burma and the neighbouring countries. It seems probable that Mus badius, Blyth (J. A. S. B. xxviii. p. 295), described from the valley of the Sitang, should be added to the synonyms of V. oleracea. 19. RHIZOMYS BADIUS, Hodgs. a-f. 4 adult and 2 young. Boori-bazar, 11 and 12/3/81. g, h. 2 young, Moirang, 22/3/81. The young specimens are interesting as showing that this species only assumes its rich chestnut-colour in adult age, as they are all of a hue more resembling that of Rh. pruinosus, Bly., than that of the adult animals along with which they were caught, and of which they are presumably the young. III. THE TENASSERIM COLLECTION. Next in interest to the Manipur mammals come those from Tenasserim, collected nearly entirely by Mr. Davison in 1877 and 1878, at the time when Mr. H u m e was bringing together materials for the valuable paper on the Birds of Tenasserim published in 1878 3. In this paper may be found a description (p. 522) of all the localities at which Mr. Davison worked, and at which therefore these mammals were obtained. It was on this collection that Mr. Blanford's paper "On some Mammals from Tenasserim"1 was based, and in the present account there are therefore no novelties to be described, that author having then named, described, and figured the two remarkable species Prionodon maculosus and Sciurus rufiyenis, the typical specimens of which are in Mr. Hume's collection. As Mr. Blanford's paper is not, however, a full account of the collection, but merely consists of notes on the rarer and more interesting species, I have considered it advisable, notwithstanding his paper, to write a list of the Tenasserim as well as of the other mammals of the H u m e collection. Tenasserim mammals are of interest chiefly on account of the passage that takes place in that country from the Burmese to the Malay fauna, as we find that the South Tenasserim species, those from Bankasun, are more or less Malay in character, and add several species to the list of the mammals of British India, while on the 1 J. A. S. B. xxiv. p. 721 (1855). 2 P. Z.S. 1881, p. 548. 3 ' Stray Feathers,' vol. vi. 1878. 4 J. A. S. B. xlvii. p. 150 (1878). PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1886, No. V. 5 |
