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Show 1886.] DR. GUNTHER ON A VARIETY OF FELIS LEOPARDUS. 203 birds, and most of the views admit, I believe, of no reasonable doubt. There can be little doubt, also, that up to a certain point there is a remarkable correlation of particular styles of imbrication of the cubital coverts with certain structural characteristics-osteological, myological, visceral, and pterographical; so that, within certain limits, the disposition of the cubital coverts may be taken as a kind of index to the presence, or the absence, of deeper-seated characters whose importance in relation to taxonomy is generally recognized. Nevertheless, until tlie facts here called attention to bave been independently considered by other observers, I feel sure that it would be premature to press the importance of the bearing that any of these may seem to me to have upon taxonomic questions : for the present it will probably be generally deemed advisable to lay more stress upon the bearing of the facts upon the correct delineation of birds for zoological purposes, than upon their value as furnishing additional data as subordinate factors in any scheme of classification. 4. Second Note on the Melanotic Variety of the South- African Leopard. By Dr. A. G U N T H E R , F.Z.S. [Received March 26, 1886.] By the last South-African mail I have received from Mr. N. Abraham, President of the Graham's-town Natural History Society, a letter with photograph enclosed, which gives more positive information about the variety of the Leopard of the district of Albany, mentioned by Mr. Trimen in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1S83, p. 535, and described by myself, ibid. 1885, p. 243, pi. xvi. The skin in Mr. Abraham's possession leaves hardly any doubt that we have before us a case of incipient melanism, which, if the family in which the melanotic tendency showed itself had been left undisturbed, might have been developed into as complete a condition of melanism as is occasionally found in the Asiatic Leopard. Mr. Abraham writes as follows:- " Graham's-town, S. A., March 1st, 1886. " To Dr. A. Giinther, F.Z.S. " DEAR SIR, " Knowing that you are interested in the black variety of Leopard found in the district of Albany, I write to tell you of a beautiful skin which I have in my possession and also to send you a photograph of the same. I had the flat skin photographed on purpose that I might send you a copy, as I thought a photo would convey a good description and save many words. It will, however, be necessary for me to say that the blackness of the skin is more dense than appears in the photo. The gloss upon the skin prevented the photographer from giving a true idea of the beautiful black, which is dense in many parts. There are no rosettes or spots at all on the larger portion of the skin ; in this the photograph is quite correct. 14* |
