KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADFMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 48, N:o 5, 161 
referred to this species until MArscutr recently created two subspecific names K, ec. 
pallidus from Shebelli, Somaliland, and K,. c. thike from Thika river, Brit. East 
Africa. The first of these names is based on two immature specimens; It is thus 
uncertain whether the characteristics quoted by Marscuie are constant. These are: 
»The ground-colour is not a mixture of grey and russet brown but very light brown 
without any reddish tint. The white eye-stripe reaches only 2,5 em. beyond the eye 
in front) — — —. The light colour may stand in correspondence with the youth 
of the specimens. If the second characteristic is constant, it distinguishes K. c. pal- 
lidus from my specimens from Guaso Nyiri. The white eye-markings are also much 
larger in the latter which hardly can be explained by their greater age. 
The Thika-race, based upon an adult buck from Thika river, is said to be 
characterized by its »tief dunkelbraune Farbung und dadurch dass die Hiiftbinde auf 
der Mitte des Hinterriickens unterbrochen ist». The last of these characteristics does 
not need to be constant in a race of Waterbucks, as can be judged from the fact that 
in one of my bucks from below Chanler Falls, and in the cow shot near the crossing 
of the Marsabit road on the northern side of Guaso Nyiri such an interruption of 
the rump-band takes place, but not in the other buck, although it was shot at 
exactly the same place as the first. Concerning the description of the colour of 
K. e. thike there are also several discrepancies from my specimens. One of these 
is that in K. e. thike »auf der Mitte der Brust befindet sich ein grosser weisser 
Fleck». No such marking is to be found in my specimens. The latter appear also 
to be less dark, especially on throat and chest, which are said to be »warm-sepia- 
farbig oder russfarbig (Rép. de Couleurs 305. 1) mit grau gemischt» in the Thika- 
race, while the corresponding parts of my specimens rather deserve to be termed 
pale smoke grey somewhat tinged with brown (conf. below). As it could have been 
suspected that such a white spot on the breast as that mentioned in the description 
of. K. e. thike might be an individual variation, I took the liberty of writing of 
Prof. Marscure and asking him about this. But in his reply he declined the possi- 
bility mentioned saying: »Dass die breite weisse Stelle auf der Brust meines Kobus 
ellipsiprymnus thike individuell sein sollte, glaube ich nicht; so etwas als Variation 
habe ich noch nicht gefunden.» Concerning the colour of throat and chest in K. e. 
thike the author also kindly gave the following explanation: »Die Kehle und Brust 
sind sehr dunkel, die Warm-Sepia-Farbe herrscht vor, der Riicken ist nur rot- 
licher.»> Since Matscute this way had still more sharply defined the characteri- 
stics of the Thika Waterbuck I must state that my specimens from Guaso Nyiri 
cannot he counted to the Thika race as I had expected. The following descrip- 
tion proves more fully the differences. The back is grizzled, the ground colour 
being hoary or whitish grey overlaid with »warm sepia» (Rép des Couleurs» 305. 2). 
The warm sepia colour dominates over the hoary on the rump, and also, although 
less markedly, above the shoulders. Towards the sides the warm sepia fades 
more and more and is replaced by »otter brown» (»Rép. de Couleurs 354) begin- 
ning with darker shades and finally passing to the lightest on the lower flanks 
where the light grey wholly dominates. The under parts are whitish with an 
K. Sy. Vet. Akad. Hand]. Band 48. N:o 5. 21 
