78 ]\[r. 0. Thomas on 



hitherto considpred by de Winton * and ravself as G. varie- 

 gatun, but it may be readily distinguished by the characters 

 above described. 



Lutra capensis Hindei, subsp. n. 



Two years ago I described the Abyssinian representative 

 of the large Cape chwvless otter {Lutra capensis) as a special 

 sul)?})ccies under the name of Lutra c. Menelckif. 



Tlic British Museum has now received from Dr. S. L. Hinde 

 the skin and skull of an old male otter of this group from 

 Fort Hall, British East Africa, where it had been found 

 drowned in a native fish-net. The specimen was skinned 

 and prepared by Mrs. Hinde, whose scientific enthusiasm in 

 performing so serious a task is worthy of ro.uch admiration. 

 The only other East- African otter that I have seen is the 

 skin mentioned by W. L. Sclater J, which was taken in the 

 Victoria Nyanza and sent home by Col. Delme-ll ulclifFe ; 

 but that having no skull is of little help for purposes of 

 comparison. 



In external cliaracters the Fort Hall otter agrees more 

 closely with South-xlfrican specimens than with that from 

 Abyssinia, as it has the wool-hairs of the body broadly tipped 

 with brown as in the former animal, while in the lattijr they 

 arc nearly wholly white. Throughout it is a dark form, the 

 throat less white than in most members of the gi'oup, and the 

 dark patches at the bases of the whiskers unusually well 

 marked. Ears entirely brown, without white edging. 



The skull is reniarkably small as compared with that of 

 either the Ahyssinian or Cape forms, and on this account I 

 think it necessary to give a special name to the animal, calling 

 it Lutra cape?isis Hindei. The difference may be seen on a 

 comparison of the measurements now given with those of the 

 tvpe of L. c. Menelkki. 



The forehead is narrow, the postorbital processes little 

 developed, although the individual is an old one with much 

 worn teeth, and tlie cranial ridges comj>arativ(dy low. Nasal 

 opening shaj)ed as in Menettki^ but much smaller. The teeth 

 are of the usual character, but the upper molar is not so large 

 in area or so produced postero-internally as it is in Meneleki. 

 The following are the dimensions of the skull : — 

 Basal length 118 mm.; zygomatic breadth 1)4; mastoid 

 breadth ISO ; breadth of nasal opening 18 ; interorbital 



• Ann. & Ma<r. N. II. (6) xx. p. 317 (1807), and (7) iv. p. 354 (1890). 

 t 1'. /. S. 1902, ii. p. 300. 

 X r. Z. S. 1003, i. p. 101. 



