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Show 1897.] SPECIES OF POTAMOCHCERUS. 361 African Bush-Pigs are to be separated from Sus, the Oriental forms just mentioned have as good claims to be equally distinguished by a separate generic denomination. However, the genus-name Potamochcerus being in use, and being very convenient for distinguishing the small group of African Pigs in question, it might as well be maintained. There are, up to the present day, three recognized species of Bush-Pigs or River-LIogs (Potamochcerus) in Africa :- 1. The West-African River-Hog, generally known as Potamochcerus penicillatus (Schinz), extending from Angola as far north as Senegambia, and, according to Schweinfurth and Emin Pasha, as far east as Monbuttu. 2. The South- and East-African Bush-Pig, which, in this country at least, is generally called Potamochcerus africanus (Schreb.), and is supposed to extend as far north as Abyssinia. 3. The Madagascar Wild Hog, called by Grandidier Potamochcerus edwardsl. As regards first the scientific names, I have the following observations to offer :- Gervais was the first to assert (Hist. N . M a m m . 1855), and after him Nathusius (Vorstudien, 1864), that the Sus penicillatus of Schinz (1847) was the long-forgotten Porcus gulneensis of Marcgrave, Klein, and others (Sus gulneensis, Briss.; Sus porcus, L., Gruel., & c ) ; whereupon J. E. Gray, in 1868, restored to this beast its original Linnsean specific name, " Potamochcerus porcus." Linnaeus (S. N . 10th ed.) identifies his Sus porcus as the Porcus gulneensis of Ray, who himself had stated that his description and name were taken from Marcgrave. Gray (1868 and 1869), quoting Marcgrave, says : - " Marcgrave describes it as having a cyst on the navel, and says that it had been introduced by the negroes, and naturalized in Brazil." Prom the text of Marcgrave it appears that he does not say that his P. gulneensis has a cyst on the navel, he does not say that it had been introduced by the negroes, and he does not say that it had been naturalized in Brazil. Habent sua fata libelli! The following is the description of P. gulneensis in the posthumous work of Marcgrave :- " Porcus gulneensis, et e Guinea in Brasiliam translatus, figura ut nostrates et ruffi coloris : in hoc autem differt a nostratibus, quod caput habeat non ita elatum : aures autem longas et acutas plane et prolongatis acuminibus, caudam longam usque ad talos propendentem, pilorum expertem. Toturn corpus tegitur pilis brevibus ruffis splendentibus, non setis, quibus et in dorso caret, sed tan turn versus caudam in dorso et circa collum paulo longiores habet pilos. Plane cicur." 1 Out of evil, however, has come some good, for Gray's more than free translation gave an opportunity to Prof. Reinhardt, of Copenhagen (in a letter addressed to the Secretary of this 1 GEORGI MAECGRAVI de Liebstad, " Misnici Germani, Historian Eerum Naturalium Brasilise, Libri Octo": ' Hist. Nat. Brasilia?,' Lugd.-Bat. et Amstelod. (Elzev.) 1648, p. 230. PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1897, No. XXIV. 24 |