278 Mr. 0. Thomas on 



Cordillera and the main Eastern Cordillera — a region which 

 is without trees and is partly covered with low bushes 

 and partly with short grass. In this steppe-like country, and 

 not on broken or rocky ground, all the mammals were 

 collected. Mount Sahama itself, distant some 50 kilometres 

 from the place where the collection was made, is one of the 

 highest peaks of the Coast Cordillera, attaining an altitude 

 of about 7000 metres." 



Besides the new species, examples of Gams azarce, Cte- 

 nomi/s opi'mus, Lagidium peruanum^ and Cavia boliviensis 

 occur in the collection. 



Conepatus rex, sp. n. 



Size comparatively large. Fur very long and thick, 75 to 

 80 millim. long on the back. Hairs of neck and anterior 

 back definitely reversed forwards, from a pair of prominent 

 hair-whorls just behind the shoulders to a transverse ridge 

 between the ears, formed by the meeting of the opposed 

 hairs. White of back forming two broad bands, extending 

 from the hair-ridge between the ears backwards on to the 

 rump, but not reaching the tail ; in front of the hair-whorls 

 these bands are separated by a narrow black band about half 

 an inch in breadth, which disappears at the whorls, where the 

 two bands coalesce. Behind the whorls the two bands 

 rapidly separate to a distance from each other of about 3 or 4 

 inches. Tail very long and bushy, much longer than in most 

 of the South-American forms, and uniformly bushy through- 

 out, the hairs from 80 to 120 millim. in length ; in colour it 

 is nearly wholly black, there being only a few scattered white 

 hairs on its terminal third. Posterior half of soles thickly 

 hairy. 



Ijimensions of the type (an old female), taken on the skin, 

 and all merely approximate : — 



Head and body 430 millim.* ; tail, without hairs 270, with 

 hairs 340 ; hind foot, without claws 66, with claws 73. 



Skull : basal length 67"5 ; greatest zygomatic breadth 45 ; 

 greatest mastoid breadth 41*5; interorbital breadth 22*5; 

 intertemporal breadth 19*5 ; palate length from gnathion 31' 5. 

 The teeth are too much worn down to be measured or 

 described. 



Type B.M. no. 98. 3. 16. 4; original number 1752. 

 Killed 3rd June, 1897. 



This exceedingly handsome skunk is quite unlike any 

 Conepatus that 1 can find recorded. Perhaps the neai'est to 



• Mr. Garlepp gives C80 millim. as the total length in the flesh. 



