The species of porcupine which occurs in Western Yunnan seems to he intermediate
between the Eastern Chinese short-crested porcupine and an allied species
in the Himalaya, both of which are nearly related to the small short-crested
porcupine of Bengal, which, in its form as in its pronounced burrowing habits, is
very distinct from the long-crested porcupine of Southern and Western India a
species which is hardly specifically separable from the large porcupine of Southern
Europe and of North and North-Western Africa.
The musteline genus Relictis is represented in Western Yunnan by a species,
2T. moschata, specifically distinct from S . ni/palensis of the Himalaya. I t would
appear probable that the species of the genus Lutra and its sub-genus Aonyx are
specifically identical with the species found in the Himalaya. The different
species of otter, however, found in the Indian section of the Oriental region are not
a t all rightly understood. An otter occurs in Bengal and in the Himalaya with
a considerably flattened head and a somewhat spatulate muzzle, the skull of which
is hardly distinguishable from the skull of the European otter; and this form
would appear to be the Lutra nair of Cuvier, with which the L . widica, Gray, is
identical. Another otter also occurs in Bengal with a deep head and a short deep
muzzle, and a skull quite distinct from that of L . nair, as the postorbital portion
is long and tumid, and in these features markedly different from the skull of L . nair,
in which the postorbital region is contracted. Both of these otters are very closely
allied to species which occur in the mountain streams of Western Yunnan associated
with L . {Aonyx) lejptonyx, an otter which has a wide distribution in the
Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese regions. The musteline genus Meles (Arctonyx)
is represented in-Western Yunnan by the same species which occurs in the Assam
region,
On the higher mountain ranges to the east, in the neighbourhood of Sanda and
Teng-yue-chow, and associated with a number of Palseartic types, is found JElurus,
specifically identical with the so-called Cat-bear of the Himalaya. Erom the
number of skins which are used for the decoration of the head-dresses of the Military
officials, the species would appear to be very prevalent, and to have a much greater
numerical development than in the Himalaya.
I leprned of the existence of a black bear in the Kakhyen hills, and indeed of
its occurrence also in the mountain ranges generally to the east of Bham.6, and
observed one skin which, from its general character, led me to conclude th a t it might
probably be TJrsus tibetanus ; but as there was, however, some doubt regarding this
skin, I resolved to omit any reference to the species, except in this Introduction.
Since the last Expedition, however, I have instituted enquiries on the eastern frontier
of Burma regarding the species of bear said to occur there, and, as a result, the
Zoological Garden of Calcutta received from Mr. Hivers Thompson, c.s.i., then
Chief Commissioner of British Burma, a living example of Ursus tibetanus from the
hillyvregion at Tonghoo, in nearly the 19° parallel of latitude; and from this
circumstance I am disposed to conclude that my observation in the Kakhyen hills
was correct. This species has been recorded by M. L’Abbé A. David from Shensi,
and by Swinhoe from Hainan and Eormosa.1
The tiger and leopard are prevalent at Bhamô, and equally so in the elevated
valleys about Sanda and in the mountain ranges to the east, whereas in the Kakhyen
hills the black variety of the latter animal is found; and associated with these
species is another but much smaller cat, F. bengalensis, and which occurs in the
valleys of the elevated region about Momien and also a t Bhamô. The Himalayan
species of Frionodon also occurs in the Kakhyen hills, and associated with it is
th a t widely distributed species V'zoerricula malaccensis.
At Momien, which is enclosed by rounded hills, covered only with grass and
patches of bracken, I observed a small yellow fox; but as I have not been able
to determine the species satisfactorily, having obtained only one young individual,
I have omitted the species from the text. In association with it, there is a hare,
which, for a similar reason, I have not been able to determine specifically.
In the region of Teng-yue-chow, the Himalayan and Chinese species of Goat
Antelopes, N. bubulvna and N. edwardsi, would appear to meet ; and on the very high
mountain ranges to the north of Teng-yue-chow tha t Palæartic type Moschus occurs.
Cervus porcmus is prevalent a t the base of thè Kakhyen hills, and on them the cry
of the barking deer, C. vaginalis, is a familiar sound.
Wild elephants, the Singphos or Kakhyens assert, axe occasional visitors to the
mountains, ascending from the neighbourhood of Bhamô to an elevation of 5,000 feet.
_ ^ Shaas of Bhamô are familiar with the existence of a two-homed Rhinoceros,
which occurs on the right bank of the Irawady, in the district of Mogoung; but I
could not obtain any reliable information to serve as a guide to the identification of
the species, whether it might be F . nigerf or the species which I soine years ago
described as F. mmatrensis of Bell, but which Dr. Sclater considered to be a distinct
species and named F . lasiotis. F . sumatrensis, as understood by me, occurs at
Chittagong, and is apparently the animal found in the valleys of Tipperah and
Munipur to the north, and therefore is in all likelihood the species said to occur at
Mogoung.
— “g T I B °f a<mbtlM8 U- "Mcl, w e ld also appear to „ T a Ï T ■ ¡ ■ ■ I B B °£ Sind and Persia, from r r W S H Ü described i t as a new .pec.es, U. g.dro.mnu* (Journ. As. Soc., Bengal, Vol, XLVI,.Pt. II, 1877, p.
however, acknowledging the .peciSo identity o f l i e BaldohMSn black b e « w ith U. tiielanm.