2 ARKIV FÖR ZOOLOGI. BAND 7. N:0 9. 



with capensis} This appears, however, ver}^ questionable to 

 the present writer for the following reasons. L. poensis Wa- 

 TERHOUSE is much too small to belong to the Clawless Otters. 

 It is stated in the description to have a length of head and 

 body of »24 unc. 3 lin. » ( = about 62 cm) and a length of tail 

 amounting to »13 unc.» (= 33 cm.). It is also said to be 

 »smaller than the common European species». All Clawless 

 Otters from Africa hitherto described are thus very much 

 larger than »Lutra poensis», the length of head and body of 

 the former, as a rule, being between 80 and 90 cm. and the 

 length of the tail varying from 46 to 67 cm. in different races. 

 The colour of Lutra poensis is also different from that of the 

 Clawless Otters as the lips and the throat of the former» are 

 of a rich golden yellow with a faint brownish hue», whereas 

 the same parts in the Clawless Otters are white or whitish. 

 On the other hand )>Lufra poensis» agrees with the spotted- 

 necked Otters with regard to size, and colour of the throat, or 

 just the same characteristics in which it disagrees with the 

 Clawless Otters. It appears thus most suitable to transfer 

 the specific name »poensis» to the Lutra maculicoUis group, 

 and this proceeding can be based with full right on the cha- 

 racteristics mentioned as the feet of the t}^e-specimen, which 

 other wise would have decided the question with full certainty, 

 are missing. The next specific name given to a Clawless Otter 

 is »calabaricus » which by A. Murray, even in connection with 

 a new generic name (Anahyster), was bestowed upon a skull of 

 such an animal. Murray believed his specimen to be inter- 

 mediate between Lutra and Enhydra, because it had »the first 

 pre-molar suppressed above». No other diagnose was given 

 and the specimen was probably only representing an individual 

 anomaly. The name »calabaricus» may thus be repudiated. 

 RoCHEBRUNE is quotcd as author of still another name for 

 a Clawless Otter viz. »Lutra Lenoiri». This name is said to 

 have been printed in »Vertébr. Nov. Afr. Occ. sér. 3 p. 9, 1888» 

 but as I have not had access to this work I must confine myself 

 to quoting Oldfield Thomas who says^ about it: »Privately 

 printed, and probably not realh^ published at all in the technical 

 sense of the word. » And in a note he adds that it is impossible 



' Catalogus Mamm. T. I p. 285. 



' Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edinburgh. Vol. 2: 1. 1860. 



3 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1889 p. 196. 



