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Show 64 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE [Jan. 5, Hyrax burtoni, Gray, Ann. Mag. N. H . (4) i. p. 43 (1868); Cat. p. 285 (1869). Hyrax dongolanus1, Blanf. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 642 ; Bocage, J. Sci. Lisb. (2) iii. p. 192 (1889). Size rather large; form elongated. Ears apparently more sharply pointed at the tip than in the other species. Mammae 1-2 = 6. Fur long, but harsh and thin. General colour sandy fawn, grizzled with black, not so pale as in P. pallida, but paler than in P. syriaca. Dorsal spot small and very little prominent amid the general sandy colour. Its hairs coloured very much as in well-marked specimens of P. abyssinica-i. e. brown at the bases, bright orange-yellow subterminally or terminally, with or without black tips. Skull and teeth large and strong, not definitely distinguishable from those of P. abyssinica. Interparietal sutures persistent. Breadth of m1 7-0 to 7'7 m m . ; height of crown of m^ 6*9 mm.; horizontal length of p1 2*5 or 2*6. Type in the Berlin Museum. Hab. Dongola (Hemprich Sf Ehrenberg) ; Egypt (Burton). This species, to which I follow Mr. Blanford in assigning Hyrax burtoni of Gray, appears to be essentially a northern desert form of P. abyssinica, and leads on towards P. syriaca of the other side of the Red Sea. All these species are very closely allied to one another, their skulls being practically indistinguishable, and their distinctions resting mainly on colour. P. ruficeps, however, has decidedly more pointed ears than the others, at least so far as the three typical specimens of " H. burtoni " are concerned, but I do not know how far this is likely to be a constant character. It is unfortunate that the name ruficeps should stand for this species, as the rufous on the vertex is far less strongly marked than it is in many specimens both of P. abyssinica and P. shoana; 5. PROCAVIA ABYSSINICA. Hyrax habessinicus, Hempr. & Ehr. Symb. Phys. decas i. pi. ii. (the dark-coloured specimen) (1828). Hyrax abyssinicus2, auctorum plurimorum ; Blanf. P. Z. S. 1869 p. 642; Bocage, J. Sci. Lisb. (2) iii. p. 122 (1889). Hyrax alpini, Gray, Ann. Mag. N. H . (4) i. p. 45 (1868): Cat. p. 287 (1869). Hyrax ferrugineus, Gray, Ann. Mag. N. H. (4) iii. p. 242 (1869)• Cat. p. 288 (1869). 1 The use of this name is due to a mistaken idea of Hemprich and Ehrenberg's meaning in first founding the species. Their work being written throughout in Latin, the simple statement of the locality of the animal " Hyrax ruficeps (dongalanusy was taken for an alternative name, and then preferred to ruficeps as more appropriate. No doubt Gray's misquotation of " Hyrax ruficeps vel dongolanus" was the first cause of the mistake. The same remarks mutatis mutandis, apply to the use of the word " sinaiticus" for H. syriacus by Gray. 2_Now that "Abyssinia" and not "Habesh" is the form of the name invariably used, it seems better to adopt the amended spelling" abyssinica " rather than " habessinica." Mr. Blanford also comes to the same conclusion • vide his footnote, P. Z. S. 1869, p 639. |