130 BULLETIX 90, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



differences long known, seem of sufficient importance to warrant 

 recognition of a special genus for the animals. 

 For measurements of specimens see page 129. 



ICHNEUMU ALBICAUDA IBEANA (Thomas). 



Plate 35. 



1904. H[erpestes] a[lbicaudus] ibeanus Thomas, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 



vol. 13, p. 409. June. (Athi-ya-Maui,' Mombasa-Uganda Railway, 



British East Africa; type in British Museum.) 

 1910. Mungos albicaudus ibeanus Roosevelt, African Game Trails, Amer. ed., 



p. 473; London ed., p. 485. 

 1913. Mungos albicaudus ferox Heller, Smithsonian Msc. Coll., vol. 61, No. 13, 



p. 11. September 16. (Changamwe, British East Africa; type in U. S. 



Nat. Mus.) 



Specimens. — Eighteen, from localities as follows: 



British East Africa: Athi Plains, 1 (Klein); Changamwe, 1 

 (Mearns) ; Kapiti Plains, 1 skull only (Loring) ; Kisumu, 1 (Heller) ; 

 Lukosa River, 1 (Heller); Maji-ya-chumvi, 1 (Heller); Mazeras, 1 

 (Heller); Melindi, 1 (Hinde); Mtoto Andei, 1 (Heller); Nairobi, 1 

 (Klein); Naivasha, 3 (Mearns, Loring, Heller); Ulukenia Hills, 2 

 (Loring); Voi, 3 (Heller). 



Heller has recorded the stomach contents of specimens collected by 

 himself as follows: Lukosa River, small cobra and large beetles; 

 Kisumu, large beetles; Voi, one with large beetles, one with termites, 

 and one termites and rodents. Mearns records the weight of an 

 adult male [basal and nasal sutures still open] from Naivasha as ten 

 pounds, and the color of the irides of the Changamwe specimen as 

 "light hazel." 



The excellent series listed above shows the marked uniformity of 

 color, except for cases of melanism, which obtains in this form 

 throughout its range in British East Africa. Eliminating specimens 

 with black tails the remaining skins, from Kavirondo to the coast, 

 are very evenly colored, and are easily distinguished from the silvery 

 form found in the region above the Northern Guaso Nyjiro. The 

 type-specimen of Heller's Mungos albicaudus ferox from Changamwe, 

 near the coast, is in such a ragged state of pelage that any comparison 

 with skins from other localities is valueless. A skin in much better 

 condition from Mazeras is, however, colored quite as are skins from 

 near the type-locality of iheana, and I can find no other characters 

 by which to recognize the coast form. The skull of the type oi ferox 

 is somewhat smaller than some female skulls of iheana, and the teeth 

 are so much worn that no intelligent comparisons are possible, so that 

 the characters of "larger size" and larger lower molar can hardly be 

 accepted without more material from the Mombasa region. The skin 

 from Melmda, on the coast north of Mombasa, is the darkest in the 

 series, but is evidently melanistic. 



1 Mr. Heller thinks this is nodoubt the Swahili name for stony Athi station, as 77!OMnnSwaliUi="stony.' 



