﻿2 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 59 



field Thomas as L. ibeanus. As will be seen from the accompanying 

 illustration, the animal is quite different in appearance from the type 

 species, L. imhausii, as usually figured. The Park is indebted for the 

 specimen to Mr. G. H. Goldfinch, Assistant Game Warden of British 

 East Africa. 



This species of Lophiomys occurs in the higher part of British 

 East Africa and is known only to the Wandorobo, a tribe of expert 

 hunters, who explore every corner of the forests. Mr. Goldfinch 

 was well acquainted both with the game of that region and with 

 its animals generally, but this one he knew only from descriptions 

 given by the natives. At his urgent request they secured two speci- 

 mens in the forest near Nakuru, at about 8000 feet altitude. These 

 he forwarded to Nairobi, whence they were shipped with the col- 

 lection of animals which had been presented to the Park by Mr. W. 

 N. McMillan of that place. One died at Port Said, while on the way 

 to America, and the other came through safely. 



Mr. Goldfinch states that Lophiomys is arboreal and lives in the 

 thick forest of the high country, feeding on leaves and tender shoots, 

 also that the natives are averse to handling the animal, believing its 

 bite to be poisonous. It is, he says, " very rare or only got by ac- 

 cident here." In captivity it eats cabbage, sweet potatoes and other 

 vegetables, and is especially fond of sweet potato leaves and the endive 

 salad plant. It is strictly nocturnal, and its slow movements are 

 very suggestive of the Canada porcupine (Erethizon dorsatus) . 



The illustration shows the appearance of the animal when dis- 

 turbed. It then erects the long hair of its general coat, which parts 

 along either side, leaving there a deep furrow that extends from 

 the base of the ear to the root of the tail. The bottom of the furrow is 

 filled with short and peculiarly modified, spongy hairs. M. Milne- 

 Edwards, in describing the type-species, stated that he did not know 

 of any other mammal with hair of a similar structure. When the 

 animal is quiet the general pelage closes over this band of short hair, 

 entirely concealing it. 



URSUS GYAS 



Alaskan brown bear 



There is so little information available with regard to the rate of 

 growth of wild animals that it seems to be worth while to record the 

 weights of a male Alaska Peninsula brown bear (Ursus gyas Mer- 

 riam) in the National Zoological Park, which has been weighed at 

 intervals of about a year for eleven years. The bear was captured 

 near Douglas Settlement at the western entrance to Cook's Inlet, 



