( 443 ) 



TWO NEW SUBSPECIES OF FRO TELES. 



By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, Ph.D. 



ON e.xamiuiiig some skins collected at Umpata, Angola, bj' a Mr. Harrison, 

 I was at once struck by an Aard-Wolf (Protelei<), whose fnr was of a distinct 

 pale rnfons colouration, and after having the skin mounted I carefully compared it 

 both with a South African Protflrs crialfitKs and a specimen (three-parts grown) 

 from Somaliland. This examination convinces me that we have here three quite 

 distinct subspecies, and the East African form will ]irobably constitute a fourth. I 

 will here give the characters of all three races. 



Proteles cristatus cristatus ; S. Africa. 



Pelage ashy grey, front and sides of neck greyish white, mane on hind-neck 

 and back mixed grey and white, the latter predominating, tips of hairs brownish 

 black. Black stripes broad and well defined, tail grey with black tip and indistinct 

 band. 



Proteles cristatus septentrionalis snbsp. nov. : Somaliland. 



Pelage creamy white, without any grey tinge whatever, but slightly washed 

 with buff on the neck and sides of rump. Stripes as in the typical form, but less 

 defined, and broken up into spots on the neck. Mane black, variegated somewhat 

 with creamy white.* 



Proteles cristatus harrisoni subsp. nov. : S. Angola. 



Head white, grizzled with bhuk, ears much wliiter inside than in either of the 

 preceding races, rest of body jiale oninge rufous, stripes much less developed. The 

 strijie running from breast over shoulders to the back stops short about midway on 

 the shoulder instead of reaching to the back ; three hindermost strijtes obsolete. 

 Mane black, somewhat variegated with rufous, tail black varied with rufous. 



Type : Umpata, Mossamedes district. 



* About the occurrence in Somaliland see C. V. A. I'eel, Somaliland (190U) pp. 181, 2S7. 



