﻿NO. l6 NEW RODENTS FROM AFRICA HELLER 19 



which is crossed by the broad buffy neckband ; tail white, the dorsal 

 surface with a wide black stripe extending from, base nearly to tip. 



Measurements. — Head and body, 480 mm. ; tail, 95 ; hind foot, 

 105; ear from notch, 115. Skull: greatest length, 88; condylo- 

 incisive length, JJ ; basilar length, 67 ; zygomatic breadth, 42 ; inter- 

 orbital constriction, 17; nasals, 36.4 x 19; palatilar length, 31.4; 

 palatal foramina, 22; diastema, 24; maxillary toothrow, 15; condylo- 

 incisive length of mandible, 69.4; coronoid-angular depth of man- 

 dible, 39. 



In the desert about Marsabit this hare was found in abundance 

 living in the open sandy country, relying upon its pale coloration 

 for protection, and not on cover like the highland race. 



LEPUS KAKUMEGiE, new species 



Kakumega Hare 



Type from the Lukosa River, Kakumega Forest, British East 

 Africa; adult female; number 181809, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; collected by 

 Edmund Heller, February 12, 1912 ; original number, 5644. 



Characters — Ears much shorter than victoria, less than 90 mm. 

 from notch; pelage long and heavy, suffused extensively with 

 tawny; black dorsal tail stripe covering whole upper surface of tail 

 to the extreme tip, not white bordered and white tipped as in 

 victorice and its allies. 



Coloration. — General dorsal coloration raw sienna, heavily black 

 lined over the greater part of the dorsal area, except on rump and 

 sides, where tawny-ochraceous predominates ; nape ochraceous- 

 rufous ; crown of head like back, showing considerable black ; orbital 

 region clear buffy without any darker vermiculation ; ears darker 

 than dorsal area on upper surface, black predominating over tawny, 

 the fringe on inner border mixed black and tawny ; extreme tip 

 black, the outer border at base white ; limbs tawny, the pads tawny- 

 olive; belly and chin white, the hair white to the roots; throat and 

 chest tawny, merging gradually on sides into the more rufous nape 

 and forming a conspicuous wide neckband; tail white below, the 

 whole dorsal surface covered by a wide black mantle from base 

 to tip. 



Measurements. — Head and body, 460 mm.; tail, no; hind foot, 

 105 ; ear from notch, 88. Skull : greatest length, 91 ; condylo-incisive 

 length, 78.6; basilar length, 68; zygomatic breadth, 41.6; interorbital 



