tion however, of the cause of the difEerouoe of colour does uot appear to be ¡auctioned
by the condition of the fur in a large series of specimens of L .w w r., m all of
which there is the distinct indication of a pale, subterminal area which produces the
whereas the assumption that the absenoe of grizzling in this other Otter _ is
due to the shedding of the light-coloured a r e a is without any facte to support i t ;
and the probability is that if Blyth had been aware of the cranial differences winch
marked these two specimens A and B of his supposed L. nmr, the explanatum he has
offered of the cause of the difference in the colour of the pelage would probably have
b e e n modified, if not abandoned.
This Otter, for reasons hereafter to be stated, appears to attain to a greater size
than L. naw. The colour is more rufous umber-brown than i . mw, and does not
^Uikit. any tendency to grizzling, and the under surface is only somewhat hoary, well
washed with brownish. The chin and the edge of the lips are whitish, and the silvery
hoary on the sides of the head, on the throat, and on the under surface E H B |
and on the cfiest, is marked. The tail, above and below, is concolorous with the trunk.
The length of the skeleton of an adult female, measured from the tip of the premaxil-
laries to the end of the sacral vertebrae, is 23-25, and the tail measures 17'75 mches.
The distinctive features of its skull, as compared with the skull of L. nmr, are
the considerable swelling of the post-orbital contraction of the frontal, the more
arched character of the anterior extremity of the frontels and of the supmnasal
region which is flattened in the previous species, the rather shorter muzzle measured
f r L between the post-orbitel processes to the extaemifies of the premamBanes the
more rotund character of the parietals, the greater depth and breadth of the bram-
case, the short and broad post-palatine region with the much outwardly curved
processes of the pterygoids, and the large teeth. The accompanymg table will
illustrate wherein these skulls differ from one another, and as flie three specimens
measured are about the same age, the table conclusively proves that the skull of the
female of this Otter is not only considerably larger than that of- the corresponding
sex of L. navr, but that it also exceeds in size the male of that species S i n
Inferior margin o f foramen magnum to tip of premaxillaries
Posterior ^border6of palate to inferior margin o f premaxillaries
Greatest breadth of skull, not zygomatic . . . .
» zygomatic breadth . • • •
Depth of skull between tympanic bull® • • •____ •
„ „ through inferior margin of foramen magnum .
Greatest parietal breadth • ■ • . •
Breadth of post-orbital contraction, posteriorly
„ at middle
anteriorly •
”, between orbits, anteriorly • • • • ■ ,
Anterior angle of orbit in a straight line to anterior end of nasals
Breadth across alveolar margin of canines . . . . • •
Length of upper row of teeth, measured in a straight lme from
incisor to post-border of last molar . • • •
Length of lower d i t t o ..................................................... •
anterior surface of first
207
2-30 255
0-52
0 6 2
0 79
1-05
0-77
1-00
1-65
1-75
.
4-20
2-07
2-13
2-42
2-78
0-45
0 6 3
08 0
1-25
0 8 2
1-09
2-19
2-17
2*55
2 9 0
1-70
1-60
2-20
0-67
0 8 2
0-97
109
0'56
1-.05
I t is probable that these differences in the dimensions of the skulls extend also
to the other parts, and that there are two large, long-clawed Otters in Bengal
distinguished from each other by difference of size. The measurements, however,
which I have given of the mounted specimen of JO. navr do not support this
suggestion, but mounted skins are not to be relied on as accurately indicating the
dimensions of animals.
The type of JO. siimmg, Baffles, in the India Museum, London, is evidently
closely allied to, if not identical with, this species; but, as its skull has been lost, it is
impossible to do more than conjecture, yet it is improbable that the Simtmg is
L. navr, and from the nature of the skull of JO. chinensis, it does not appear to be
that species which is probably a distinct form allied to JO. nair. This Otter is
distinguished fromL. svmatrcma (Plate XII, figs. 4 to 6) by the different configuration
of its skull, and by its hairless nose. I am disposed to consider that it will be found to
be the Simuzig of Baffles and the Sarcmg of P. Cuvier, and that it is one of those
members of the Malayan fauna which range north-westwards through Tenasserim,
Burma, Arracan, and Assam to the Himalaya, and that those individuals which have
been found in the streams of the plains of Bengal are merely occasional stragglers.
I t is probable that it has a considerable westerly range in the Himalayas, but the
Otter of Kashmir1 is probably JO. vulgaris, or a very nearly allied form.
In Western Yunnan, I obtained numerous, perfect Otter skins belonging
to two distinct species, but unfortunately no skulls. The larger of the two was
a species evidently closely allied to the Simu/ng, and was procured at altitudes varying
from 2,000 to 4,000 feet.
Sir W. Elliot,2 in his Catalogue of the Mammals inhabiting the Mahratta country,
distinguished only one species of Otter which he regarded as JO. nai/r, but some years
afterwards he forwarded to the Calcutta Museum the skull of an Otter which he considered
to be distinct from the JO. navr of his Catalogue, a specimen of which he had
also presented to the same Museum. I have had the skull of this specimen removed,
and although it has only its milk teeth, it is yet of much greater size than specimens
of corresponding age belonging to L. navr. The general characters which distinguish
this young skull from the skull of JO. nai/r are those which separate JO. nmr from
the supposed Simung {?— JO. monticola) in adult life, and the mature skull proves the
species to be very closely allied to the Otter the skull of which I have figured under
the name, JO. monticola. I t is perfectly distinct from the skull of the type of
JO. nai/r, as it has the post-orbital swelling. I t presents, however, certain characters
by which it differs from the supposed Simu/ng (? = JO. monticola), and chief among
these are its relatively smaller and shorter brain-case, the much greater forward
arching of the malar branch of the superior maxillary, its much shallower muzzle,
and the slightly more elongated character of the post-palatine prolongation; and
these features are so well pronounced that I do not hesitate to regard it as a species
of Southern India Otter quite distinct from JO. nai/r, but sub-specific to the supposed
1 Hiigel: Beise im Kaschmir. 2 Madr. Joum. Lit. and Science, vol. x. 1839, p. 100.