Porculia Salvania (Hodgson)

Abstract

A MOST valuable and interesting addition has recently been made to the Zoological Society's collection in Regent's Park, of four—a male and three females—Pigmy Hogs (Porculia salvania, of Hodgson) from the Doars of Bhotan. The extreme rarity and difficulty of procuring this animal makes its presence here of the greatest interest, and these individuals will be examined eagerly, not only by naturalists, but by many Indian travellers, sportsmen, and others, who have heard of, but never had the opportunity of seeing the pigmy hog. My attention was directed to it many years ago by the late Mr. Blyth, then in Calcutta, who on my first expedition to the Nepaul Terai, in 1855, requested me to endeavour to obtain a specimen—as far as I remember, neither Blyth nor Jerdon had seen it living—Hodgson, who described and named it, had heard of its existence from the Nepalese or other denizens of the Terai, or neighbouring localities, long before he obtained a specimen. I was unable to procure one, though I made repeated attempts to do so, and enlisted many influential friends in the search, but without success; very few appeared to know even of its existence, whilst many seemed to regard it as mythical. Occasionally I met with natives who said they had heard of it, but I began to fear that it might be extinct. The four fine specimens now in the Gardens prove that such is not the case, and will furnish opportunity of supplementing Hodgson's description of the animal, which is to be found in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, and in Jerdon's “Mammals of India.”