378 Mr. O. Thomas on the Dwarf Mungoose. 
H. undulata; but no opportunity had oceurred of making a 
detailed examination of the skulls and other characters. Oa 
now making such a comparison with Dr. Atkinson’s speci- 
men, I find that, although undoubtedly nearly allied, it is 
sufficiently distinct to demand specific separation. I would 
propose to call it, in honour of its collector, to whom the 
Museum is indebted for an interesting series of Somalt 
mammals, 
Helogale Atkinsont, sp. u. 
Very similar in external appearance to H. undulata, and 
especially to the darker-coloured individuals of that species. 
It is, however, rather darker than the darkest, with less 
rufous or fulvous in the general tone, the chest and belly are 
browner, and the muzzle is blackish brown, as compared to 
the rufous which occupies this part in all the Museum speci- 
mens of 7. undulata, and is also mentioned by Peters as 
being present in the types. 
Skull with the nasals peculiarly short and broad, extending 
backwards barely 2 millim. beyond the level of the pre- 
maxillary bones, instead of, as in AZ. undulata, running back 
as a long narrow wedge past the level of the anterior edge of 
the orbit. Middle upper premolar (p*) with scarcely a trace 
of an internal secondary cusp, such as is prominent in all the 
available skulls of H/. undulata, five in number, and is men- 
tioned by Peters in his description. 
In size H. Atkinsoni appears to be just about equal to 
H. undulata, tor the type (a rather immature male) has a skull 
of just the same size as an equally immature male of //. undu- 
lata, and also just equal to the old female of that species and 
the old male ot {. parvula. ‘here appears therefore to be 
just the same differences between the sexes of H. undulata’ 
as between the species undulata and parvula, an old male of 
the latter just equalling an old female of the former. This 
question of sexual difference in size was not discussed by 
Dr. Jentink when he suggested* that H. undulata and 
HA. parvula were really indistinguishable by size and should 
not be specifically separated. 
Dimensions of the type (a slightly immature male), 
ineasured in flesli by the collector :— 
Head and body 192 millim.; tail 153; hind foot 41; 
ear 17. 
Skull: basal length 41°7; greatest breadth 25°6; nasals, 
length in middle line 5°1 ; interorbital breadth 10:2 ; breadth 
* N, D, M. xiv p; dl (88s), 
