The “Tamarao” from Mindoro (Philippine Islands)

Abstract

I HAVE only just seen, in NATURE of August 16 (p. 363), Dr. Sclater's communication of Prof. Steere's letter concerning the discovery of a new species of Anoa (A. mindorensis) in the Island of Mindoro. I beg to say that I forwarded a note on this imperfectly-known animal, whose native name is Tamarao (not “Tamaron,” as far as I know), to the Zoological Society of London, and the note was printed in the Proceedings of the Society for 1878, pp. 881-82, under the title, “Letter concerning the supposed existence of the Anoa (Anoa depressicornis) in the Philippines.” Since then, Dr. Hoffmann, formerly Assistant at the Royal Zoological Museum of Dresden, has published the results of his investigations on a skull of the Tamarao, which has belonged to the Dresden Museum since 1878, and which was brought by Prof. Semper from his travels in the Philippines (see Abhandl. und Berichte d. k. Zool. und Anthr. Ethnogr. Museums zu Dresden, 1886-87, No. 3, p. 26 et seq., Plate 6, a-f). He proves, by a comparison of this skull with the skull of Anoa from Celebes, and with buffalo skulls from the Philippines and elsewhere, that this Tamarao has nothing to do with the genus Anoa, but is a true buffalo, viz. either Bubalus indicus, Rut., or an undescribed variety of this species, or, perhaps, a new species of Bubalus. Between these alternatives we were unable to decide from the single skull in our hands, which, besides, is not that of a full-grown animal. If Prof. Steere be right in asserting that there exists a true Anoa in Mindoro. I can only conclude that the skull brought by Prof. Semper as that of the Tamarao of Mindoro, is not the true Tamarao.