FOUR NEW SUBSPECIES OF LARGE MAMMALS FROM 

 EQUATORIAL AFRICA 



By EDMUND HELLER 



NATURALIST, SMITHSONIAN AFRICAN EXPEDITION 



The subspecies of large mammals described in the present paper 

 are based on material in the United States National Museum col- 

 lected m East Africa by the Smithsonian African Expedition under 

 the direction of Col. Theodore Roosevelt and the Paul J. Rainey 

 African Expedition. 



HIPPOPOTAMUS AMPHIBIUS KIBOKO, new subspecies 

 East African Hippopotamus 



Type from Lake Naivasha, British East Africa; adult male, Cat. 

 No. 162979, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; shot by Theodore Roosevelt, July 20, 

 1909; original (Heller) number, 280. 



Characters. — Hippopotamus amphibius kiboko is characterized by 

 the wide nasal bones, great elevation of the orbits and the lambdoidal 

 crest above the interorbital region which has a deeply concave sur- 

 face in consequence, and the less constriction of the rostral part of 

 the skull. From typical amphibius of the Xile it is further dis- 

 tinguishable by its srnaller body size and smaller canine teeth. It 

 may be distinguished from capcnsis of South Africa and the 

 Zambesi river system by its more circular orbit, the lighter body 

 coloration and the more heavily haired ears and tail tuft. The 

 skull differences between constrictus of Angola and Naivasha speci- 

 mens have been shown by Miller 1 to consist of greater rostral con- 

 striction, less elevation of the upper rim of the orbits, shorter man- 

 dibular symphysis and smaller teeth in the former. 



Coloration. — Color of the tanned skin grayish-olive deepest on the 

 back and lightest on the underparts where it becomes a pinkish drab 

 on belly, axillae and groins. Hair covering absent except on tip 

 of tail, inside of ears and on muzzle. The tail is furnished by a con- 

 spicuous tuft of seal-brown hair 4J/2 inches long attached like a mane 

 to the ridge of the flattened tail. Ears heavily haired on the inside by 

 olive-brown hair three-fourths of an inch in length. The great lips 

 of the muzzle as far back as the nostrils support a scattered growth 



1 Smith. Misc. Coll., 1010, vol. 54, No. 7, p. 1. 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 61, No. 22 



