1895. Manis javanica Thomas and Hartert, Novitates Zoologicæ, II, p. 492. December, 1895 (Bunguran).
An adult male was taken on Bunguran, June 24, 1900. Total length 914; head and body 508; tail 406.
TRAGULUS BUNGURANENSIS sp. nov.
Type.—Adult male (skin and skull) No. 104604 U. S. National Museum. Collected on Bunguran Island, North Natunas, July 9, 1900. Original number, 547.
Characters.—Color pattern essentially as in Tragulus nigricans Thomas, from Balabac. Size equal to that of T. canescens from the Malay Peninsula, therefore much greater than in the Balabac animal.
Color.—Back uniform ochraceous, fading to buff on sides, the hairs everywhere gray at base. Both back and sides everywhere darkened by black hair tips, but these never sufficiently abundant to produce a dark shading in excess of the ochraceous. The relative proportion of the dark wash to the light under color is precisely the same as in Tragulus canescens and T. napu (from Linga Island) but the black is less conspicuous than in the Bornean form of T. napu. Legs, except white area on inner side, like back but slightly brighter and less shaded with black. Entire dorsal and lateral surface of neck clear black to base of hairs, a few ochraceous specks visible on close scrutiny, particularly at sides near throat markings. On shoulders this black area fades abruptly into color of back; on head it passes forward between ears and eyes nearly to muzzle. Cheek, region between eye and ear, and line extending forward over eye to muzzle and separating black median stripe from naked loral space, ochraceous, essentially like that of legs. Throat markings as in Tragulus nigricans, but white stripes apparently even more restricted. Region occupied by posterior white stripes black, continuous with that of neck, but distinctly speckled with ochraceous. Region occupied by anterior stripes ochraceous, continuous with that of cheeks and somewhat less pure and more speckled with black. White stripes as follows: (a) One on each side of naked chin area. These are about 50 mm. in length and never more than 10 mm. in breadth, but occasionally so narrow as to break up into two or more spots. They are separated from naked chin patch by an ochraceous stripe slightly broader than the white. Chin area narrowly and discontinuously bordered with white, especially in front. (b) Two posterior lateral stripes varying from 50 mm. to 80 mm. in length, and never more than 12 mm. wide. They are strongly convergent anteriorly, and sometimes nearly joined together in front by a median spot. These white stripes are always separated from the anterior stripes by an ochraceous median area varying from 10 mm. to 25 mm. in width. (c) A median stripe lying between the posterior lateral stripes. Posteriorly this stripe is as wide as the lateral stripes, but it quickly narrows and sometimes disappears at middle of latter, though usually represented again by the median spot already referred to. In none of the specimens is this stripe broad and continuous anteriorly to level of front of lateral stripes as in Nehring's figure of the throat markings of T. nigricans.[6] Collar narrow, ochraceous grizzled with black. It is seldom more than 25 mm. in width; therefore much narrower than indicated by Nehring's figure. Behind the collar is a whitish gray median area continuous laterally with narrow light stripe down inner side of fore legs. This light area is sometimes divided by a dark median line joining collar with buff of belly. Belly and chest buff, essentially like that of sides, with which it forms no contrast in color. As on the sides the buff is clouded by black hair tips, but the hairs are scarcely if at all gray at base. On chest the dark hair tips tend to form a median stripe, which is sometimes sharply defined and continuous with the ochraceous line occasionally dividing white of breast. A clear whitish area slightly larger and better defined than that of breast occupies region between hind legs. It is continuous with white stripe down inner side of hind legs. This stripe is usually divided on thigh by encroachment of the surrounding ochraceous. Tail silky white below and at tip, essentially like back above.
Skull.—The skull of Tragulus bunguranensis fully equals that of T. canescens in size, and distinctly exceeds that of the Bornean form of T. napu. It is much larger than that of T. nigricans, which proves to be a medium sized species like T. rufulus. In general form the skull agrees so closely with that of Tragulus canescens that it is only to be distinguished by its slightly greater relative breadth and smaller, less inflated audital bullæ. As compared with the skull of Tragulus nigricans,[7] that of T. bunguranensis is much larger (distance from back of occiput to front of canine 103 instead of 92, zygomatic breadth 53 instead of 45), and the braincase is more conspicuously ridged for muscular attachment. That part of the braincase immediately above posterior root of zygoma is more conspicuously inflated. Otherwise I can detect no salient differences in the skulls of the two animals.
Teeth.—The teeth are uniformly larger than those of Tragulus nigricans, but in form they present no characters of importance. As compared with T. canescens the premolars both above and below are conspicuously more robust, a character in which the Bunguran animal agrees with the Bornean form of Tragulus napu.
Measurements.—External measurements of type: total length 647; head and body 571; tail vertebræ 76; hind foot 146; hind foot without hoofs 128. Average and extremes of five adults from the type locality: total length 643 (628-673); head and body 566 (558-584); tail vertebræ 77 (70-89); hind foot 142 (140-146); hind foot without hoofs 126 (124-128).
Cranial measurements of type: greatest length 114; basal length 107; basilar length 100; occipito-nasal length 106; length of nasals 32; diastema 13 (9);[8] zygomatic breadth 52 (46); least interorbital breadth 33 (28); greatest breadth of braincase above base of zygomata 38 (33); mandible 91 (78); maxillary toothrow (alveoli) 38 (34); mandibular toothrow (alveoli) 44 (39); anterior upper premolar 7 × 3.8 (6.4 × 3); middle lower premolar 7.2 × 3 (5.8 × 2.4).