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Show 196 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE [Apr. 2, ETHIOPIAN OTTERS. The Otters of the African Region present no difficulty whatever as to their definition. Two species only are known, the large clawless one of South and West Africa, and the smaller clawed L. maculicollis. Of the three early names for the former species authors have, as usual, carefully avoided the one that has priority, although constantly putting it down as a synonym, and have divided their attentions between " L. inunguis" and " L. lalandii." The following appears to be the proper synonymy of the two species:- 1. LUTRA CAPENSIS. L. capensis, Schinz, Cuv. Thierr. i. p. 214 (1821). L. inunguis, F. Cuv. Diet. Sci. Nat. xxvii. p. 247 (1823). Aonyx delalandi, Less. Man. Mamm. p. 157 (1827). Lutra poensis, Waterh.1 P. Z. S. 1838, p. 60. Anahyster calabaricus, Murr. P. Row Phys. Soc. Edinb. ii. p. 158 (1860). Lutra lenoiri, Rochebr. Vertebr. Nov. Afr. Occ. ser. 3, p. 9, 1888(?). (Privately printed, and probably not really published at all in the technical sense of the word.) 2. LUTRA MACULICOLLIS. Lutra maculicollis, Licht. Arch. f. Nat. 1835, i. p. 89, pi. ii. fig. (animal). Lutra grayi, Verr. apud Gray (never described). Hydrogale maculicollis, Gray, P.Z. S. 1865, p. 132. AMERICAN OTTERS. It is due to the want of material and other difficulties in connection with the American, and especially the South-American, Otters, that the present paper is necessarily only a preliminary account of the genus, and not a complete monograph. But I may be permitted to express a hope that collectors and others having opportunities of obtaining Otters from the tropical parts of South America will aid in the future revision of the genus by contributing to our National Collection any specimens that they may be able to procure. Although, therefore, I am unable to work out the New-World Otters completely, the following points at least seem to be fairly clear, and may be of service to future workers on the subject. As to the common North-American Otter nothing but a passing reference is necessary, as its synonymy and characteristics have been fully worked out and described by Dr. Elliott Coues2. It may be 1 This name probably belongs here, but the typical skin, being without feet or skull, it is impossible to be quite certain until further specimens are obtained from the same locality. The same m a y be said of " Lutra lenoiri" on account of the absence, as usual, of all diagnostic characters in what its describer calls a " diagnosis." 2 Fur-bearing Animals, p. 295 (1877). |