/ 



1. HTRATC. 287 



b. Fur soft, close. 



4. Hyrax Brucei. 



Fur soft, close, yellow grey-brown, closely and minutely punctu- 

 lated with black ; underside white ; dorsal streak distinct, dark 

 reddish yellow ; hairs of the back soft, dark grey-brown to the 

 base, with a narrow subterminal blackish band and a yellow tip. 

 Skull — " interparietal bone oblong, longer than broad." 



Ashkoko, Bntce's Travels, t. 



Daman d'Israel, Buffon, Suppl. vi. p. 270, t. 24 (from Bruce). 



Hyi-ax syriacus, Schreh. Sdui/eth. iv. t. 240. f. 1.3 (from Bruce) ; Blain- 



ville, Osteoffraph. t. 2 (skull and teeth). 

 Ilyrax abyssinicus, Biippell, 3IS. B. M. ; Gerrard, Cat. Bones B. M. 



p. 284; Burton, MS. BM. 

 ? Ilyrax ruficeps vel dongolanus, Ehrenherg, Sijmbohe Bhi/s. t. 2 (not 



Blahimlle). 

 Hyiax Brucei, Graij, Ann. ^- 3faff. N. H. ser. 4. i. p. 44. 



Hah. Africa, Abyssinia {Dr. Riippell) : type in B. M. ? Dongola 

 (Ehrenberf/) : adult skull in B. M. 



The name of //. syriacus cannot be retained for this species, as it 

 does not come from Syria. 



Dr. Peters, in a note which he sent to me respecting Ehrenberg's 

 specimen in the Berlin Museum, observes, " His Ilyrax ruficeps is 

 hardly different from H. syriacus." By the second name which 

 Ehrenberg gives to this species it evidently came from Dongola in 

 Africa ; so it can scarcely be the H. sijinacus of Ehrenbei-g from 

 Mount Sinai. 



5. Hyrax Alpini. 



Fur very soft, rather long, pale yellowish brown, veiy slightly 

 washed with blackish ; hairs soft, of uniform length, blackish brown, 

 with yellow tips, and a few scattered black hairs ; hps, chin, throat, 

 chest, beUy, and inner sides of the limbs pale reddish yellow ; hairs 

 yellow to the base : crown and cheeks grizzled, with white tips to 

 the hairs ; hairs at the outer base of the ears yellow-white ; dorsal 

 spot small, reddish yellow. 



Hyi-ax Alpini, Gray, Ann. 4" Mag. N. H. ser. 4. i. p. 45. 



Hob. NorthiAflierinr, "Abyssinia (Leaclbeater) ." 

 There is only a single specimen of this species in the British Mu- 

 seum ; it was purchased in 1843, with the skin of a Capra nubiana, 

 from Mr. Leadbeater, who said they came from Abyssinia. The 

 special habitat may be doubtful ; but there is no doubt they were 

 from North Mrica, and probably from the borders of the Nile. 



It agrees ■w^ith the H. Brucei of Abyssinia in the softness of the 

 fur, but differs from it in its general colour, not being closely punc- 

 tulatcd, and also in the separate hairs not ha^•ing any indication of 

 the subterminal black band that produces the punctulatcd appear- 

 ance of the fur of that species ; and the underside of the animal is 

 yellower. It differs also from H. sinaiticus in the general colour 



