20 GYMNURA ALBA. 



covered ; indeed , a distribution of an albino-variety stand- 

 ing alone and at the same time altogether inexplicable ! 



That we have to deal here with more than a local variety 

 appears if more closely examined ; the white {yellowish white 

 it is and not a pure white) animal is much larger and 

 stouter in all dimensions, moreover there are several diffe- 

 rences in the bony parts too , as I demonstrated in my 

 former papers ') on the subject ; a very important charac- 

 teristic however hitherto not recorded is that in G. Rajiesii 

 the claws of the fore feet are about half the length of the 

 claws of the hind feet, in G. alba however the claws of 

 the fore feet are very small, about 07ie fourth of the size 

 of those of the hind feet , so that in G. alba the fore- 

 claws are not curved at all; they are too small. 



It is a well known fact that G. Rajlesii is clothed with 

 long hairs, especially on the back they attain a very large 

 size; in G. alba however all the hairs are short, so that 

 there is no trace of a kind of crista on the back as is to 

 observe in G. Rajiesii. 



Here are some dimensions of Büttikofer's specimen (al- 

 coholic) : Mm. 



Length of head and body 343 



» » tail 235 



» » hind foot 71 



Distance from ear to eye 25 



» » eye to end of muzzle .... 50 



This specimen is a female and Büttikofer remarks that 

 »the iris is black'\ True albino's have — as everybody 

 knows — red or reddish eyes. 



1) Notes from the Leyden Museum, 18S1 and 1885. 



I>fote8 from the Leyden Museum, "Vol. XVIl. 



