1869.] MR. BLANFORD ON ABYSSINIAN SPECIES OF HYRAX. 639 
of seventeen of all ages at Adigrat, also at about 8000 feet (these 
were procured by a collector whom I left with especial instructions 
to shoot and preserve as many as he could); one at Agula, 7000 feet ; 
one near Antalo, 7000 feet; two on the Wadela plateau, at above 
1000 feet ; and one in the Anseba valley near Bogos, at about 4000 
feet above the sea. 
The specimen shot at Annesley Bay differs from all the others in 
its short rather harsh fur aad apparently small size. It is immature, 
but seems smaller than specimens of similar age from the highlands ; 
and other individuals seen about the same burrow were equally small. 
Except in size, this specimen agrees very fairly with the type of Hyrax 
abyssinicus* of Hemprich and Ehrenberg; for it has a rudimentary 
black dorsal spot, a character which appears usually more developed 
in adult or aged specimens than in the young. — It, however, has not 
the smallest resemblance to the skins from Shoa in the British Mu- 
seum identified by Dr. Gray with that species, but which certainly 
belong to a different species, much larger in size, and with very long 
soft hair instead of the short harsh fur of H. abyssinicus. 
Whether my specimen be correctly referred to H. abyssinicus 
of Hemprich and Ehrenberg or not, there can be but little douht 
that this species is a well-marked form inhabiting the shores of the 
Red Sea, and that Dr. Gray is right in separating from it the 
common Hyrax of the Abyssinian highlands with a yellow dorsal 
spot. 
Itis on thespecies inhabiting the highlands that my specimens throw 
most light. The characters mainly relied upon for the discrimination 
of the species of Hyraz are the colour of the dorsal spot, the colour 
and texture of the fur, and the form of the skull. In all these cha- 
racters there is so much variation that I am not in the least surprised 
that Dr. Gray should have considered that there were several species 
indicated by the few skins to which he had access. I cannot, how- 
ever, quite coincide in this opinion. For some time I thought that 
I could distinguish two species amongst my collections—one with a 
well-marked yellow dorsal spot, the other with the same rudimentary 
or wanting (H. irroratus, Gray). But further examination showed 
that those specimens in which the dorsal streak is entirely absent 
are immature, and that in the adult it is always slightly indicated ; 
and there is a perfect transition from the merest indication to a dis- 
tinct well-marked yellow spot. The colour of the fur varies in the 
most singular manner, the principal distinction being in the greater 
or less amount of rufous; but that this is simply an individual cha- 
racter is shown by the circumstance that on several occasions I saw 
one or more rufous individuals (H. ferrugineus, Gray) amongst the 
ordinary dusky grey animals belonging to the same burrow, and also 
by the variation in the extent and shade of rufous, some skins having 
* Hemprich and Ehrenberg write habessinicus; but the other spelling is that 
adopted by the older writers, such as Gmelin. The name Abyssinia being gene- 
rally adopted from medizval if not from classical Latin, it seems unnecessary to 
change it, although the true name of the country is Habesh. 
