EAST AFKICAN MAMMALS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM. 109 



LYCAON PICTUS LUPINUS Thomas. 



1902. Lycaon pictus lupinus Thomas, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, vol. 9, 



p. 439. June. (Nyuki River Swamp, Rift Valley, British Eaat Africa; 



type in British Museum.) 

 1910. Lycaon pictus lupimis Roosevelt, African Game Trails, Amer. ed., p. 473; 



London ed., p. 485. 

 1914. Lycaon pictus lupinus Roosevelt and Helleb, Life Hist. African Game 



Anim., vol. 1, p, 267. 



Specimens. — Eleven, from the following localities : 

 British East Africa: Kabalolot Hill, Sotik, 5 (HoUer); Kamiti 

 Fami, Athi Plains, 2 (Mearns); Kilima Kiii, 1 odd skull (Heller); 

 Southern Guaso Nyiro River, 1 odd skull (Mearns); Telek River, 

 Sotik, 1 (Rainey); Ulu Station, 1 (Rainey). 



A young adult female collected by Mearns at Kamiti Farm 

 weighed 31 pounds eviscerated. Merans's catalogue records of a 

 specimen from the Southern Guaso Nyiro: "Iris yellowish-brown; 

 naked parts black." The hunting dog is noted for great individual 

 variation in color and color pattern ; the throe colors, black, ochra- 

 ceous, and white, are not distributed exactly alike in any two skins. 

 Examination of the series listed above, however, makes mo believe 

 that while a certain amount of what might be termed true "indi- 

 vidual" variation reaUy does occur, the immense differences between 

 most of the animals can be explained by condition of pelage, rather 

 than by genuine individual variation. Aside from irregularity in the 

 white patches, which is a common condition in many mammals, the 

 black and ochraceous areas are to a considerable degree regular in 

 outline if the animal is in perfect coat. This does not often occur, 

 apparently, as the skins in our series are in aU stages of moult and 

 renewal, though all were taken in two months, May and September, 



This pied creature is found throughout East Africa, although it is rare in most places. 

 Hunting dogs usually go in big packs. They master all the smaller and the young cf 

 all the larger antelopes, and there is reason to believe that at times, although rarely, 

 they kill even the biggest antelope and half-grown buffalo also. Yet we saw zebras 

 feeding near them without heeding them, and also rushing at them and driving them 

 off when they came too close. They are extremely destructive to game, and at times 

 to goats and sheep; and they will menace man, although we have no authentic in- 

 stance of their actually attacking him. But Mr. Rainey, in the Northern Guaso Nyiro 

 desert, saw a party of wild dogs chasing a lion; they did not bite him, but he was mani- 

 festly uneasy and concerned and trotted sheepishly along, endeavoring to get out of 

 their way. (Roosevelt and Heller, Life Hist. African Game Anim., vol. 1, pp. 

 266, 267.) 



Heller's field notes of the Rainey Expedition state that a hunting 

 dog was trapped at Merelle Water and kept alive. The howling of 

 the captive later atttracted a band of 11 wild dogs to within 300 yards 

 of the camp at Quoy. In this band 10 were quite blackish and one 

 much lighter in color. At Longaya Water the members of the expe- 

 dition saw wild dogs run a dik-dik at midday. 



For measurements of specimens see page 110. 



