| OCR Text |
Show 134 MESSRS. O. THOMAS AND H. SCHWANN ON MAMMALS [Feb. 21, Skull-basal length 61 mm. ; greatest length 72 ; zygomatic breadth 50; brain-case breadth 33. Hah. Near Grahamstown, Cape Colony. Type. 6 . B.M. No. 97.11.5.10. Presented by the Albany Museum. S. S. HAMILTONI, subsp. 110V. This subspecies is based on specimens collected by Capt. G. E* IT. Barrett-Hamilton at Vredefort Road, Orange River Colony, and the one obtained by Mr. C. H. B. Grant at Wakkerstroom. It is distinguished by its generally lighter colour above and below and the stronger fulvous suffusion present on the back. One of its best characters is a strongly marked white patch extending from tlie eye to the neck and entirely surrounding the ear. The throat is also strongly suffused with white, while it is grey in the other subspecies. These characteristics, though not very marked in single specimens, are very apparent when a series of skins is compared. The skull differs in no way from that of the typical subspecies. llab. Wakkerstroom, S.E. Transvaal; alt. 1850m. Type. J . B. M. No. 4.9.1.31. Collected 8 April, 1904. S. S. NAMAQUENSIS, s u b s p . 110V. Characterised by the silvery tone of the forehead, lips, cheeks, and shoulders, these parts being grey in the other subspecies. Throat grey as usual. Suffusion on the tail more yellow than fulvous, the black tip rather less strongly pronounced than in the other races. The silvery tone of this animal falls in well with the conclusions published in our paper * on Mr. Grant's Namaqualand collection, where the paleness of the mammals generally was noticed. Hab. Klipfontein, Namaqualand ; alt. 1034 m. Type. 5 . B.M. No. 4.2.3.4.2. Collected 13 May, 1903. Four specimens examined. The following is a rough key to the four subspecies of Suricata here recognised :- A. Greatest length of skull 68 mm. at most; hind foot less than 65 m m .; tail less bushy. a. Forehead and nape uniformly coloured, white clieek-patch not passing over ears. « 2. Forehead, cheeks, and shoulders with a distinctly silvery tone ................................................................. S. s. namaquensis. b-. Forehead and shoulders " drab-grey," cheeks dirty white......... ........................................................... S. suricatta. b. White cheek-patch extending above ears........................... S. s. hamiltoni. 13. Skull 69 mm. or more; hind foot more than 67 m m .; tail very bushy ........................................................................................ S. s.lophurus. * P. Z. S. 1004, i. p. 172. |
