64 BULLETIN 99, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



CROCIDURA HILDEGARDE/E HILDEGARDE^ Thomas. 



Plate 8, figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. 



1892. Crocidura sp. True, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mue., vol. 15, p. 470. (Kilimanjaro.) 

 1904. Crocidura hildegardex Thomas, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, vol. 14, 



p. 240. September. (Fort Hall, British East Africa; type in British 



Museum.) 

 1910. Crocidura maanjse Heller, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 56, No. 15, p. 4. 



December 23. (Kabula Muliro, Uganda; type in U. S. Nat. Mus.) 

 1912. Crocidura lutreola Heller, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 60, No. 12, p. 8. 



November 4. (Mt. Mbololo, Taita Hills, British East Africa; type in 



U. S. Nat. Mus.) 

 1912. Crocidura hildegardese. procera Heller, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 60, 



No. 12, p. 10. November 4. (Mt. Lololokwi, British East Africa; type 



in U. S. Nat. Mus.) 



Specimens. — Fifty- three, from the following localities: 



Uganda: Kabula Muliro, 1 (Loring). 



Beitish East Africa: Engare Karok River, 1 (Loring); Fort 

 HaU, 1 (Loring); Isiola River, 1 (Heller); Kapiti Plains, 2 

 (Loring); Mayo River, Laikipia, 1 (HeUer); Meru, 2 in alcohol 

 (Heller); Mount Gargues, 3 (Heller); Mount Kenia, 1 in alcohol 

 (Loring); Mount Lololokwi, 12 (Heller); Mount Mbololo, 8 (Heller); 

 Mount SagaUa, 3 (Heller); Mount Umengo, 2 (HeUer); Naivasha 

 Station, 2 (Loring); Ndi, 1 (Heller); Nyeri, 4 (Loring); Oljoro O 

 Nyon River, 1 (Heller); Voi, 1 (Heller); Wambugu, 4 (Loring). 



German East Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro, 2 (Abbott). 



This species appears to range over a much wider territory than 

 has been supposed. I am unable to separate subspecies from Uganda 

 or from the Taita Hills and Mount Kilmanjaro region of extreme 

 southeastern British East Africa. After long study of our excellent 

 series of specimens the forms described as maanjx, procera, and 

 lutreola all seem indistinguishable from typical hildegardese. The 

 accompanying table of measurements shows how absolutely wanting 

 is geographical variation in size, and the range of color within a 

 series from a single region frequently covers virtuall}^ the entire 

 range of coloration for the species. On the forested summit of 

 Mount Gargues is a well-marked race with decidedly dark colora- 

 tion and long tail, but the specimens from the lower juniper slopes 

 of the same mountain are best referred to true hildegardese. 



The following records of embryos are from specimens prepared 

 by Heller: Mount Mbololo, November 4, three, November 8, three; 

 Mount Umengo, November 13, four; Mount SagaUa, November 18, 

 two with three each. 



None of the earlier names for species of Crocidura from the Kili- 

 manjaro region southward appear to apply to this species. The 

 type-specimen of Crocidura gracilipes Peters ^ was examined by 



I Monatsb. Kon. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1870, p. 590. July. 



