TilK \)\K\)\KS (y/A 



UkaMBA Ku'K DlKhlK 



Rhynchotragus kirki kindei 



NIad'j'jua kirki hindei 'J homa;?, i'/-i2, /Inn. '^ Ma?. Nat. IJist., vol. V, 

 p. 242. 



Range. — Confined to iJjc foolliill re^/ion fi;)fikin;.'^ tiic 

 hij^hlands from the southern boundary of Jiriti Ji f.ast 

 Africa north to tfie southern slopes of Mourjt Kenia between 

 the altitudes of two thousand five hundred and five thousand 

 feet. 



llie ty[je of this species was collected at the ;^overn- 

 rncni p(jst of Kitui by IJoctfjr S. L. Hinde, to whom the 

 British Museum is indebted for ni;iny of its African types 

 of small mammals. We have examined specimens in the 

 National Museum from the Athi Plains and the station of 

 Mtoto Andei. Sir Alfred Pease has recorded in a letter 

 to Colonel Roosevelt his discovery of a family of spotted 

 dikdiks on his Kitan^a Farm near Machakos. While out 

 shcxjting he met a family party of three dikdiks: a male, 

 female, and half-^rown youn^, all of which were marked 

 by larj^e white blotches upon the flanks, shoulders, neck, 

 and rump. With the exception of the spots they differed 

 in no way from the ordinary dikdik found in the same 

 locality. The discovery of one individual showing partial 

 albinism of this sort would not be extraordinarily remark- 

 able, but the discovery of three individuals all showing the 

 same markings and associated together in a family is indeed 

 a really remarkable occurrence. Apparently in this family 

 at least the white markings are well established and are 

 transmitted to the offspring. The dikdik were under ob- 

 servation for some time at a distance of only fifteen yards, 

 but owing to the tender regard in which they were held by 

 the observer no attempt was made to collect a specimen. 

 No other case among dikdik of partial or complete albi- 

 nism is known to us. The proboscis occasionally shows 

 small white spots or flecks, but these are n(tvitr numerous 

 or extensive in area. 



The Lkamba dikdik may be known by its dark colora- 

 tion and extensive tawny suffusion, the sides being fjright 

 tawny and the legs more uniform tawny. \u azc it is 



