1904.] Allen, The Tamandua Anteaters. 393 



Type, No. 23420, ? ad., Bonda, April 7, 1899; coll. Herbert H. 

 Smith. 



Size small; tail short, about .80 of length of head and body* 

 Coloration and pattern of markings variable. Type, a medium ex- 

 ample: Dark area blackish brown with a tinge of reddish, extending, 

 below, from the chest to the tail, including proximal portion of the 

 hind limbs, and above from the shoulders to the hips, with a median 

 extension to the base of the tail, with two bands, averaging about 

 15 mm. wide, extending obliquely forward and downward to the front 

 edge of axillae ; light area straw-yellow, brightening to pale ochraceous 

 on the posterior part of head, sides of neck and nuchal region, from 

 which a median dorsal stripe, about 10 mm. wide at its inception, 

 runs backward to a point opposite the hips; an indistinct dusky 

 band on the side of the face extending back only to the posterior 

 canthus of the eye. 



About half the specimens in a series' of 40 now available for in- 

 spection, conform in pattern, in a general way, to this type, but the 

 color of the dark area varies from pale reddish brown to black, and the 

 light areas from nearly clear white to deep ochraceous, generally 

 most intense on the nuchal region, with the light median dorsal stripe 

 varying in extent, sometimes terminating about the middle or anterior 

 third of the dark area or extending entirely through it, dividing it into 

 right and left halves. In four specimens the light median line is cut 

 off anteriorly at the hair-whorl on the withers by the interscapular 

 and nuchal regions being dark rusty brown, scarcely different in color 

 from the adjoining dark areas. In another specimen, in which the 

 nuchal-interscapular space is quite as dark as the body, there is 

 nowhere any trace of a light median stripe. In specimens in which 

 the dark areas are nearly black, the white areas may be either nearly 

 pure white or strongly ochraceous, darkening on the nuchal region to 

 ochraceous brown. 



Measurements. Type: Total length, 979; head and body, 546; 

 tail, 433. Fourteen specimens give the following: Total length, 957 

 (865-1056); head and body, 542 (513-607); tail, 414 (347-465). 

 Skull, type, occipito-nasal length, 115; width of braincase, 39; length 

 of nasals, 39. (For additional measurements of the skull see table, 

 p. 397; for further comparison with other forms see p. 396.) 



This is another Santa Marta form which differs from its 

 nearest allies in markedly smaller size, paler tints, and ex- 

 cessive color variability. The other especially notable cases 

 are the Raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus proteus) and the Tayra 

 (Tayra barbara irard) ; the Kinkajou (Potos flavus megalotus) 

 and the Peccary (Tagassu torvum) are also small forms. 



