LÖNNBERG, A NEW SUBSPECIES OF CLAWLESS OTTER. 7 



Thomas has not communicated any more clirect measure- 

 ments of tlie teeth of the two subspecies A. c. meneliki and A. c. 

 ayigoloe of which I have no material, but he says about the 

 latter: »Molars large and heav}^ as in true capensis», and this 

 is no doubt valid for the Abyssinian form as welL If it is 

 shown as will be done below that the poster ior teeth of A. c. 

 congica generally are a great deal smaller not only than those 

 of A. cape7isis but even than those of ^. c. hindei it must there- 

 fore be rightly assumed that they are smaller than those of the 

 two remaining subspecies as well. 



From these measurements can be seen that especialh^ 

 the posterior premolars and the molar of ^. c. congica are very 

 much smaller in every dimension than the corresponding ones 

 of the other subspecies and the difference is much more striking 

 at a direct comparison than the bare measurements indicate. 

 The accompanying figures may help to pro ve this. As every 

 single tooth is smaller, it foUows that the whole row must be 

 shorter. 



Such differences in the structure of the skull as the shape 

 and direction of the mastoid processes indicate another arrange- 

 ment of the musculature than, for instance, in A. c. hindei. 

 The well developed crests on the skull of the new subspecies 

 prove that the musculature is stronger than in A. c. hindei and 

 comparatively as strong as in the South x^frican form. 



Unfortunatel}^ nothing is known about diet of the Congo 

 race, but it is to be concluded from the different size and shape 



