OCR Text |
Show 1894.] MR. O. THOMAS ON MAMMALS FROM OMAN. 453 mountains of Oman is a matter of the highest interest, for while it is unquestionably a member of the group to which the name Hemitragus has been given, its locality is in the middle of a region inhabited only by true Goats (Capra), and therefore to some extent its discovery confirms the separation of the two groups, and shows that Hemitragus is not merely a local modification of Capra, due in any sense to geographical conditions. In 1886 Mr. Sclater contributed to this Society l a very useful account of the genus Capra, recognizing ten species, among which were included the two Hemitragi. H o w little the discovery of a new Goat might have been expected is indicated by the fact that of these ten species, the latest discovered, the Markhor, was described in 1839 2 (and C. cylindricornis, omitted by Sclater, in 1841), so that there has not been a new valid species found for over half a century, although no animals have been more keenly sought after by sportsmen or more willingly investigated by naturalists. The species has been already described elsewhere, but it m ay be useful to recapitulate some of its more important characters, especially such as cannot be readily observed in the accompanying figure. Fig. 2. Skull of Hemitragus jayakari. Size small, the stuffed specimen standing only about 620 m m . (24| inches) at the withers ; in fact this appears to be, judging by the skull, the smallest species of Wild Goat. Form comparatively light and slender. Fur coarse, shaggy, and brittle, in texture i P. Z. S. 1886, p. 314. 2 I am, of course, aware of tbe description by Dr. Reichenow of Capra dorcas, Zool. JB. iii. p. 591 (1882), from the island of Joura; but there appears to be so much doubt as to whether this may not be a feral Domestic Goat that it can hardly be said to affect the remarks above made. Nor can the recent distinction, whether right or wrong, of a third species from the Caucasus (C. severtzovii, Menzb.); for it seems probable that this animal was known before the date above mentioned, even if not distinguished from the others until recently. PROC ZOOL. Soc-1894, No. XXX. 30 |