EAST AFRICAN MAMMALS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM. 115 



Genus AONYX Lesson. 



1827, Aonyx Lesson, Man. Mamm., p. 157. {A. capensii.) 

 In addition to the two races of the Cape clawless otter listed 

 below, a third subspecies, Aonyx capensis meneleki (Thomas) has 

 been described from Zegi, Lake Tsana, Abyssinia. 



AONYX CAPENSIS HINDEI (Thomas). 



1905. Lutra capensis Mndei Thomas, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser, 7, vol. 15, 

 p. 78. (Fort Hall, British East Africa; type in British Museum.) 



Specimen. — One, as follows: 



British East Africa: Thika River (Turner). 



This animal, a female topotype specimen of the race, measured 

 fresh: Head and body, 690 mm.; tail, 465; hind foot, 140; ear, 20. It 

 was killed by natives and received fresh by Mr. Turner. 



AONYX CAPENSIS HELIOS Heller. 



Plates 28, 29. . 



1913. Aonyx capensis helios Heller, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 61, No. 19, p. 1. 

 November 8. (40 miles southwest of Kericho, SotJk District, British East 

 Africa; type in U. S. Nat. Mas.) 



Specimen. — One, as follows. 



British East Africa: Sotik, 40 miles southwest of Kericho 

 (Turner). 



The characters separating this race from Aonyx ca2)ensis Mndei 

 are slight, and much more material is needed to determine its status 

 satisfactorily. As with the ratels, sufficient series must be assembled 

 from various regions so that the real geographic characters may be 

 distinguished from purely individual differences. Colonel Roosevelt 

 saw several otters while hunting hippopotamuses in Lake Naivasha,^ 

 and great efforts should be made by sportsmen and travelers to 

 coUect skins and skuUs and deposit them in museums. 



Family VIVERRID^. 



Genus VIVERRA Linnaeus. 



1758. Viverra Linn^etts, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 43. ( V. zibetha.) 



1915. Civettictis Pocock, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 134. March. ( V. civetta.) 



The African civet was first described by Schreber from "Guinea, 

 Congo, the Cape of Good Hope, and Ethiopia." ^ A form from 

 Zanzibar was described by Matschie in 1891, and in "Die Siiugethiere 

 Deutsch-Ost-Afrikas" the distribution of this new species was given 

 to include the Kilimanjaro region. It would seem on geographical 

 grounds that our single specimen should be referred to this form. 



» African ^ame Trails, p. 214. 1910. 



» Scbreber, Silugtliiere, vol. 3, pp. 418-120. 1778. 



