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Show 1887.] WILD GOATS OF THE CAUCASUS. 553 place, together with two species of Wild Sheep. On the Great Caucasus C. agagrus is found locally, but not generally. I have obtained it from the upper Ardon, western Daghestan, and other localities, but it is not found in the eastern ranges." I have likewise applied for information on the subject of Capra caucasica to our Foreign Member, Dr. Strauch, of St Petersburg. Dr. Strauch was so kind as to send me immediately the number of the Russian journal mentioned by Dr. Radde, which contains the original article by Mr. Dinnik. This article Mr. Delmar Morgan, F.R.G.S., has most kindly translated for me, and it will be found published in the last number of the * Annals and Magazine of Natural History'\ together with a copy of the plate, which the conductors of that journal have liberally "furnished. Dr. Strauch has also kindly furnished me with a list of the specimens of Capra caucasica and Capra pallasi in the museum of the Academy of St. Petersburg. It is perhaps not now necessary to read this list; but I may say that it shows that the Academy possesses, as might have been expected, an ample series of specimens of both species. In short, there can be no longer any possibility of not admitting the distinctness of these two animals ; and the wonder is that they should have been ever confounded together, the very different shape and curvature of the horns being at once sufficient to distinguish them. I may, however, add a few words upon some of the synonyms attributed to these two Sheep. In the first place, Capra caucasica of Pallas appears to have been little recognized since the time of its describer until recent days. Capra caucasica of Keyserling and Blasius, Wirbelth. Europa's, p. 28 (1840), and of Blasius, Siiugeth. Deutschlands, p. 479 (1857), as also AEgoceros caucasica, Gray, Cat. of M a m m . pt. iii. p. 148 (1852), are all referable to Capra pallasi. It is probable also that Ovis cylindricornis of Blyth (P. Z.S. 1840, p. 68), based on a description contained in a letter by Col. Hamilton Smith of an animal which died at Toulon, really refers to C. pallasi; but as this is not certain, it would not be just to set aside Rouiller's name given a year subsequently in favour of the former appellation. As regards Capra pallasi of Schinz (Neue Denkschr. allgem. Schweiz. Gesellsch. vol. ii. p. 9), which was given by Gray (Cat. of M a m m . pt. iii. p. 148, 1852) as a synonym of AZgoceros caucasica, it will be found on reference to that work that this is merely a synonym of Capra sibirica. 1 "On the Caucasian Mountain-Goat (Capra caucasica, Giild.)." By H. Dinnik. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 5, xix. p. 450. |