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Show 1899.] THE CANIDcE OF AFRICA. 539 This form, described by Cretzschmar and fairly figured from a specimen sent home by Eiippell, had doubt thrown upon it by the collector himself in his own work, NeueWirbelth. Abyss., Siiug. p. 39 (1838). At the same time we are told that the skull had been lost, and so comparison was not possible with that of G. mesomelas, of which species it was thought to be only a variety. Since that time no one but Dr. Blanford (Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 238) has given the species a proper status. The name has been used by some writers for the northern form of C. mesomelas; Dr. Mivart has confounded it with C. anthus. Dr. Noack has overlooked the species when naming the Somaliland Jackal C. hagenbecki; but since seeing examples of this latter form alive, and also having examined about a dozen skins and skulls, I feel no doubt in identifying the Somaliland animal with G. variegatus. The form described by Dr. Noack as a separate species, under the name of 0. mengesi, appears to m e to be simply a sandy-rufous variety, wanting the broad black band in the fur of its back. The dark marks in the front of the fore legs are very much less distinct than in the typical form, but are not entirely wanting. As mentioned above, the specimens from the highlands of Abyssinia, obtained by Dr. Blanford, are richer iu colouring, and owing to the longer and denser fur would appear stouter in build (see op. cit. p. 240), but at the same time these specimens somewhat approach C. mesomelas in having heavier skulls; so it may be just possible that we have here a hybrid race confined to this high plateau. Excepting in the narrowness of the frontal region and greater length of the facial portion, the skull of C. variegatus is very like that of C. mesomelas, only differing in its general narrowness and in the less expanded squamosal portion of the zygomata. CANTS MESOMELAS. (Fig. 4.) Canis mesomelas, Schreb. Sang. iii. p. 370, pl. 95 (1778) ; Mivart, Canidae, p. 45, pl. (1890). Canis variegatoides, Smith (A.), S. Afr. Quart. Journ. 1833, p. 85. Thous mesomelas, Smith (H.), Jardine's Nat. Libr. ix. p. 199, pl. xii. (1839). Vulpes mesomelas, Gray, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 516. Canis variegatus, Matschie, JSiiug. Deutsch-O.-Afr. p. 64 (1895). Canis mesomelas var. schmidti, Noack, Zool. Anz. no. 548, 1897, p. 519. Face rufous, most of the hairs on the cheeks and forehead tipped with whitish; ears very large, bright rufous ; saddle very distinct, all the hairs rufous at the base followed by a black ring, with a broad subterminal buff-white ring and tipped with black; the flanks and legs bright rufous without intermixture or markings of black. The tail is rather short, all the hairs tipped with black : the spot over the gland well developed; the stiff hairs are white for tbe greater part of their length, with jet-black tips. This is |