KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 48, N:0 5, 107 
between the anterior and posterior interorbital width of this latter Porcupine is in 
the two largest of 11 skulls 4 and 5 mm. It decreases in the smaller (younger) 
skulls, although irregularly, and is in them 1 or 2 mm. In one of the smaller skulls 
both dimensions are alike and in one of the rather young, although not one of the 
youngest, the condition is inverted so that the anterior interorbital dimension even 
is 3 mm. smaller than the posterior. 
Considering all these facts it is difficult to believe that the eventual geographic 
races of Hystrix galeata can be divided in two groups by such an uncertain and 
variable character as the relation between the anterior and posterior interorbital 
measurements. It appears rather to have only relative value even as a subspecific 
character. Frerp. Mijtuer’s foundation of H. g. lénnbergi is thus, I regret to say, 
as yet not at all proved, and the Porcupines of Kilimanjaro which according to my 
opinion represent H. galeata must still be regarded to do so, 
The type locality of the species is Lamu. THomas described' afterwards a spe- 
cimen from Ntebbe. This was an old female the skull of which I have had the 
opportunity of seeing in Brit. Museum. The breadth of this skull across the post- 
orbital processes is 71,5 mm., exactly the same as in a Kilimanjaro specimen in this 
museum. Two other specimens of H. galeata in Brit. Museum from Fort Hall which 
both are fully adult, one of them may even be termed old, have the same dimen- 
sions resp. 65 and 63 mm. but at least the latter is a male and that sex is often 
smaller among the Porcupines. 
On the acacia steppe northeast of Kenia between the tributaries to Guaso Nyiri, 
Luazomela and Itiolu rivers I obtained a Porcupine. A skull of another from »Nor- 
thern Guaso Nyiri» was bought in Nairobi from a hunter returning from the locality 
mentioned. Both these specimens are of male sex, and both are fully mature. Ac- 
cording to my-opinion they represent H. galeata as the following measurements com- 
pared with those of some other skulls appear to confirm. 
= =a eee Bo 
3 a3|/o8| s |2£38] « 
Se |Itiolu|) HS | 2a 8 |sgal 2 
Oe ae oe oo = 32 | = | 
Pere Se iat |) aie oe! abe] 
a ao alma | <8 
mm. mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. 
| Basicranial length of skull... ..- 6 + eee eee ee eee 149 153 — | 156 | 148 | 155 | 145 
Distance from occipital crest to tip of premaxillaries . ...... . 155 157 161 | 169 | 161 169 151 
MMII OY POMIGUNEBUCUEG 6 66 5c 5 eS 33 | 28 31 o7 ||) * 34 33,5) 29 
> » frontal ee WRT (at. ae et Vi EA A, GY oon 29 36,5) 35 27° | 31 | 32 31 
» Patiala s SHIT isd Lieder Ord ST ST ASIA. | 97 | 965) 96 | 102 96 106 | 99 | 
| 
Combined breadth of nasals at anterior end of nasopremaxillary suture | 40 44 41 41,5, 45 39 40 | 
» » » : » posterior » » , > 55 65 58 | 60 65 | 63 58 
Interorbital width at upper edge oflacrymals. .........4.. 67,5 | 80 ae | 70 
. > » » postorbital processes . 2. 2. - + «6 ses 2 + 66 73 65 66,5| 71,5| 72,5) 70,5 
1 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1901, p. 87. 
