1896.] MAMMALS FEOM ECUAIOE. 609 



Hah. Paramo of Papallacta. Taken by the Indians. Very 

 rare theris (L. S.). 



The geueral colouring of the animal is very distinct from the 

 type species P. humills, for whereas the latter is a bright chestnut 

 with duller neck and very bright-coloured back, feet, and forehead, 

 the new animal is black-brown sprinkled with fire-red, bright 

 tawny-coloured neck, and almost black head and legs. The ears 

 are very much shorter and are covered with much longer fur 

 especially on the iuner side, where they are white, this spot being 

 very conspicuous among the dark surroundings. The tail is 

 wanting, whereas in P. humilis it is fully an inch long. It is 

 much to be regretted that the specimen is so young, but I think 

 there can he no doubt that it is very nearly full-grown ; the last 

 molar is rising, though the milk-teeth are still unshed. This 

 species is no doubt considerably larger than P. humilis, judging by 

 the size of the skull, but I do not think its height can be more 

 than 14 or 15 inches at the shoulder ; it is a peculiarly thick-set 

 rough-haired little animal, and looks rather like the kid of a goat 

 with very fine legs. 



Ill the skull the lachrymal pits are very deep, but have sloping 

 sides, not descending nearly so abruptly as in P. humilis, in which 

 species this is a very constant character even in quite young 

 individuals. The nasals are very broad and are completely ossified 

 far forward as in Coassus. The ascending rami of the preinaxillaB 

 rise abruptly, and, expanding very considerably in their upper 

 half, fit into wide notches in the nasals, broader than in any 

 Coassus skull which I have examined. The greater length of the 

 molar series amounts to about one tooth, but the most striking 

 difference is the shape of the rows : in P. humilis these are always 

 bowed, in most specimens being strongly convergent before and 

 behind, but 1 have seen one skull in which they do not narrow 

 posteriorly : at the same time they do not widen, though much 

 bowed in front ; but in the new species they are set in two almost 

 straight lines, slightly and gradually converging postero-anteriorly 

 as in Furcifer and Coassus. There are many minor points iu which 

 the skull of this animal differs from P. humilis, and most of these 

 are characteristic of one or other of the genera mentioned, or of 

 both. The lachrymals and frontnls are joined for a greater length, 

 reducing the size of the antorbitnl vacuities, the lachrymal bone 

 extending over a space 7 mm. wide all round the upperside of the 

 pit ; the infraorbital ridge is very thick and is cut off very abruptly, 

 leaving sharp edges above and below ; the squamosal portion of 

 the zygomatic arch is more horizontal, not being bowed upwards, 

 as in P. humilis. The foramen magnum is very large. The palatal 

 bones differ somewhat in not having side processes extending 

 towards the back of the last molars ; the roof of the maxillary 

 portion of the palate is much arched, particularly in the narrow 

 part anterior to the molars : this forms very sharp edges to the 

 sides. 



Sir Victor Brooke, in his paper " On the Classification of the 



