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Show 606 DR. GUNTHER ON THE EAST-AFRICAN REED-BUCK. [Nov. 4, south-west of the mountain. It is of a light yellow colour, the being rather long and coarse." The British Museum possesses skulls of the Common Reed-buck (Cervicapra arundinacea) and of the species to which the name Cervicapra redunca has been applied by Gray. Our specimens of the latter species are from the Cape Colony (coll. Burchell) and from the Orange River. But we do not possess specimens of this species from West Africa, so that I cannot offer an opinion as to whether the so-called West-African C. redunca is really identical with, or distinct from, our South-xAfrican specimens. This, however, is a collateral question which, as we shall see presently, has no bearing upon the determination of the Masai Reed-buck. Riippell (N. Wirb. p. 20, Taf. vii. fig. 1) describes the Abyssinian Reed-buck under the name oi Antilope redunca ; but at a later period, after be had had an opportunity of comparing its skull with one from West Africa, he came to the conclusion that it is distinct, changing its name into Redunca bohor (Verz. Mus. Senckenb., Siiugeth. 1842, p. 38). I have no doubt that this Abyssinian Reed-buck is the same as the one from the Masai country. Although Riippell's craniological notes are extremely meagre, they apply pretty well to the skull brought home by Mr. Hunter and another obtained by Capt. Speke. There cannot be the least doubt that (as stated by Mr. Hunter) this animal differs widely from the common Reed-buck (Cervicapra arundinacea), being of considerably smaller size and having horns of an entirely different shape. In fact the Masai Reed-buck comes nearer to the South-African specimens in the British Museum named Cervicapra redunca, but the cranial differences sufficiently indicate a distinct species. Cervicapra redunca (fig. 1, p. 604) is distinguished by its very large orbit ; in a skull 230 millim. long the vertical dimensions of the orbit is 45 millim.; the eyeball is supported below by a largely expanded concavity of the jugal bone, the lower edge of the orbit being particularly sharp and thin, merging into the suture between the jugal and lacrymal bones. The cheek part of the skull is flat, rather concave, so that the facial portion of the cranium between the orbit and theantorbital foramen appears rather compressed when viewed from above. The ascending ramus of the intermaxillary reaches to, or nearly to, the nasal bone. The horns are but slightly divergent and very little bent forwards. In Cervicapra bohor (fig. 2, p. 605) the orbit is comparatively smaller ; in a skull 245 millim. long the vertical diameter of the orbit is only 40 millim.; the jugal bone is much less expanded to form the bottom of the orbital cavity ; the lower rim of the orbit has two edges, the lower of which does not merge into the jugo-lacrymal suture, but runs parallel to it at a distance of about 8 millim. The cheek part of the skull is swollen and convex, so that the facial portion of the cranium above the molar teeth cannot be termed compressed. The ascending ramus of the intermaxillary is short, terminating at a considerable distance from the nasal bone. |