Mammals / by J. Lewis Bonhote.

  • Bonhote, J. Lewis (John Lewis James), 1875-1922.
Date:
[1903?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Mammals / by J. Lewis Bonhote. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    One of the Jalor specimens, while apparently fairly adult, is considerably smaller and darker than the other two. At first sight, small dark coloured examples of this species resemble R. pruinosus, but they may always be dis- tinguished by the red on the face and the longer tail. They are possibly referable to R. erythrogenys, Anders., which, on the material at my disposal, I can only consider as a colour phase of the true R. sumatrensisy depending on the individual rather than the locality whence it comes. ‘ We never met with the bamboo rat ourselves, all our specimens having been brought in by natives. With the larger of the Jalor specimens were four young ones, almost exactly resembling their parent in coloration.’ 55. Hystrix grotei (Gray) (Plate III) Acanthochoerus grotei, Gray, P.Z.S. 1866, p. 310 ; Sclater, loc. cit.y p. 417. Hystrix longicauda (Marsden), Sclatery P.Z.S. 1871, p. 234 ; Flower, P.Z.S. 1900, p. 364. Hystrix yunnanensis (Anders.), Bonhotey P.Z.S. 1900, p. 881. a-c. $ , 9 9 ach Mabek, Jalor. 27th July, 1900. d. $ imm. (skull only). 27th July, 1900. The type of H. groteiy which is unfortunately a young specimen, and with which I have compared the above, leaves no doubt that these can be referred to that species. The only question about which doubt can exist is as to the advisability of using Gray’s name instead of the H. longicauda from Sumatra of Marsden1 ; Marsden gives a plate but no description, and without specimens from Sumatra it is impossible to say whether the Sumatran animal is identical with that of the mainland or not. Gray’s description of his type agrees well with the adult specimens, but in the skin the nuchal crest is not visible, as the spines forming it are hardly, if at all, longer than those on the surrounding parts, but a few of them have a conspicuous white tip. The narrow lunate half collar under the throat is also well marked in all the specimens. The skull, which is large, approaches most nearly to that of H. muelleriy Jent, from Borneo, but is larger and has a much stouter muzzle. The nasals are long and of fairly uniform width throughout their length, their posterior margin being about level with the hinder edge of the first molar, and being longer than the greatest length of the frontals by about half-an-inch. The praemaxilla is of moderate breadth at its posterior end, which lies about level with the anterior margin of the premolar. F 1. Marsden, Nat. Hist., Sumatra (3rd ed.), p. 118, pi. xiii (1818) 11/7/03
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