On some Local Foi-nis of Ceplialoplius natalensis. 277 



Top of skull flatter than iu L. sotnalenst's, in which the 

 supraorbital plates are more arched. 



I have named this fine species after Captain H. E. S. 

 Cordeaux, C.13.^ C.M.G., His AEajestj's late Commissioner 

 and Commander-in-Chief for the kSomaliland Protectorate. 



XXXVir. — On some Local Forms 0/ Cephalophus natalensis. 

 By li. C. Wroughton. 



Lv identifying a specimen of the natalensis group of South- 

 African dnikers, I had occasion to lay out all the specimens 

 of this group in the Museum Collection ; it then became 

 abundantly evident that there are several wtll-marked 

 geographical races. 



So far as I can ascertain, only two names have been given 

 in this group south of British East Africa, whence Mr. 

 Thomas has described hnrveyi; these are robertsi, Rothsch., 

 and vassei, Trouess., both from, the southern portion of 

 Portuguese East Africa. There are four specimens from this 

 area in the Collection — viz., two from Inhambane, near the 

 month of the river Limpopo, and two fi'om Gorongozaj near 

 the mouth of the Zambesi. These make a very even series, 

 agreeing very I'airly with Rothschild^s robertsi. The most 

 prominent character said to distinguish vassei irom robertsi is 

 tliat this latter has "les parties inferieures blanches.'" This, 

 however, is based on a misunderstanding, and there is no 

 difference between the two on this point : vassei must 

 therefore, I think, be accepted as a synonym of robertsi. 



The four races I can distinguish may be arranged in a 

 key as follows : — 



A. Size smaller: head and body and hind 



foot rarely reaching 800 and 200 mm. 

 respectively. Colour darker. Ears 

 shorter, 75 mm. 



a. Colour " tawny " ; nape pale slate-grey. 



(Natal, Zululand.) C. natalensis, A. Sm. 



b. Colour richer, redder on back, yellower 



on flanks; nape almost black. (Trans- 

 vaal.) C. n. amcejius^ subsp. n. 



B. Size larger : head and body and hind foot 



reaching well above 800 and 200 mm, 

 respectively. Colour paler. Ears longer, 

 85 mm. 



a. Colour " tawny ochraceous," paler be- 



low. (Portuguese E. Africa.) C. n. robertsi, Roths. 



b. Colour much paler, below dirty white. 



(Nyasa.) C. n. bradshatvi, subsp.. lu. 



