10 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 8. NIO 16. 



proves that it does not live at such an altitude that the cli- 

 mate of its habitat is harsh. It appears consequently probable 

 that it lives on the slopes of the low mountainridges west of 

 the Andes-mountains. According to Wolff (Geograf ia y 

 Geologia de] Ecuador, Dresde, 1892) the province Manabi 

 belongs to the »Region humeda de las montanas bajas y 

 de la costa». On the other hand Gualea is situated in 

 the »Region humeda de los bosques en los declives de los 

 Andes. » The two localities in which the present two speci- 

 mens of Tayra have been collected are accordingly different 

 from a climatological point of view, and this speaks thus for 

 the possibility that the very conspicuous externa! differen- 

 ces (to be mentioned below) which these specimens display 

 really indicate a subspecific difference. 



The question is then to find out whether they belong 

 to any known subspecies, and if so is the case to which. Al- 

 though several different names were given by various authors, 

 the genus Tayra, or as it then was called Galera, was generally 

 regarded to include only one species the Linnean »bärbara» 

 until Thomas, 1900, distinguished »three geographical colour 

 races». 1 These were named with the subspecific names »senex» 

 from Jalapa, Vera Cruz, »biologice» from Veragua, Panama, 

 and »bärbara typica» from the South American continent. 

 In addition to this the small race of Trinidad recieved the 

 subspecific name »trinitatis». The following year the same 

 author added 2 the subspecies »brunnea» from Mapiri, Upper 

 Beni, W. Bolivia. In the year 1904 J. A. Allén named a 

 new subspecies »Tayra bärbara irara» 2, from the Santa Marta 

 District, Columbia, and 1908 still another »T. b. inserta» from 

 the province of Magatalpa, Nicaragua. If the older names 

 are, to begin with, not considered, there are thus for the pre- 

 sent in addition to the original bärbara two subspecific names 

 for continental Tayras viz. brunnea, and irara. 



When visiting British Museum Nat. Hist. in the begin- 

 ning of April this year I had, thanks to the kindness of my 

 friend Oldfield Thomas, F. R. S., the opportunity of stu- 

 dying a very valuable material of Tayras and make a compa- 

 rison with my own material. Before I mention the results 



1 Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 7 Vol. V, p. 145. 



2 1. c. Vol. 7, p. 180. 



3 Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat, Hist, New York, Vol. XX p. 30. 



