| OCR Text |
Show 396 MR. O. THOMAS ON MAMMALS FROM ECUADOR. [May 4, 15. ARTIBEUS (URODERMA) BILOBATUS, Peters. One specimen, Sarayacu. There can be little doubt as to the correctness of this determination, although the specimen has been dried, and therefore does not show the characters of the nose-leaf very well; but the dimensions agree nearly exactly with those given by Dr. Peters1, and there are three molars in each jaw, as in the subgenus Uroderma. The jaws are rather more elongated than is usual in Artibeus, and in this respect resemble those of Vampyrops; but the form and direction of the upper incisors prove that it is undoubtedly an Artibeus. 16. FELIS PARDALIS, Linn. Two immature specimens, Sarayacu. 17. FELIS TIGRINA, Erxl. Two specimens, adult and young, Andoas. These Tigercats belong to the variety which has been till lately known as F. macroura, Wied.; but Mr. Elliot2 and Mr. Alston3 have now decided that it is not specifically separable from the earlier-known F. tigrina. [MUSTELA PUTORIUS, Linn. One specimen, Pallatanga. This is of course merely a Polecat which has been used for fer-retting, and has made its escape from captivity.] 18. GALICTIS BARBARA, Linn. Two specimens, Sarayacu. 19. PTERONURA SANDBACHII, Gray. One specimen, Sarayacu. This Otter's skin exactly agrees with Gray's type of the species, a half-grown specimen from Demerara. It is a very remarkable thing that this species should be found in Ecuador, 1500 miles from its only hitherto known habitat, on an entirely different river-system; but I can find no characters by which to separate the Ecuador form. The specimen is a flat skin, without skull; but it shows clearly the three external points by which Pt. sandbachii differs from all other Otters, viz. the corded margins to the tail, the extension of the hair on the nose-pad to the absolute edge of the nostrils, and the yellowish-white irregular blotches on the throat. Prof. Reinhardt4 has stated his opinion that this species, or one closely allied to it, inhabits the province of Minas Geraes, South-east Brazil. If this be the case, it would show that this Otter is very widely distributed over Tropical South America, instead of being restricted to Guiana as was formerly believed. 1 MB. Ak. Berl. 1865, p. 587. 2 P. Z. S. 1877, p. 704. 3 Biol. Centr. Am., Mamm. p. 61. 4 P. Z. S. 1869, p. 57. |
