890 DR. F. D. WELCH ON [Dec. 14, 



to JleUivora cottoni, and thfe history of this animal during the 

 last twelve years is interesting. 



I have had this animal inider observation during that period, 

 and it is now veiy different fi-om what it was when Hi-st ob- 

 served. The change I have noticed is, in Mr. Pocock's opinion, 

 as well as my own, worth recording, especially as Mr. Pocock 

 does not remember the colour of the animal twelve years ago, 

 and also as no skin in the ISTatural History Museum, South 

 Kensington, shows the sanie coloration. The skins there exa- 

 mined 1)V myself ai'e twenty-six from Africa and South Arabia, 

 and three from India, and I have also seen five living animals 

 from Afi'ica ,and Ai-abia, not one of these showing the colour of 

 the aged male JleUivora. 



Also I have some remarks to make on this specimen and on 

 J/, indica, which Mr. Pocock has omitted, as regards the locality 

 from which it came, and some notes on skull measurements. 



The animal arrived at the Gardens in 1890 and was apparently 

 full-growai according to the keeper who first saw^ it, and is thus 

 over twenty years old, and the change in it in my opinion is 

 due to senility, as suggested by Mr. Pocock. 



When I first knew it twelve years ago its colour was as 

 follows : — Scalp, back of neck, and doi'sal surface were very pale 

 grey with a few black hairs scattered at intervals over the posterior 

 half of the back, no black hairs whatever on scalp, back of neck, 

 and anterior half of back; this dorsal patch of grey was very 

 sharply defined from the black of the undei- paiis by a straight, 

 very distinct line. Tail w^as quite black on upper and under 

 surfaces, as I shall remark on later. 



It was then as large as no\y, and much larger than a female 

 JleUivora ratel which lived with it many years and was adult. 



It retained its oiigiual colour, not altering in any way till the 

 beginning of 1907, when the pale grey dorsal patch commenced 

 turning black, the change being very gradual and evenly distri- 

 buted over the posterior half of the back and not in patches, and 

 later on spreading to the anterior half of the back and neck. 



This change went on very gradually, the well-defined margin 

 of the dorsal grey patch at its junction with the black of the 

 under surfaces and limbs and tail becoming gradually lost ; the 

 black of the under surfaces, limbs and tail becoming gradually 

 continuous with the nevy black of the back, leaving only scattered 

 grey hairs mixed Avith black where foi'mei-ly there was the well- 

 defined line of all grey hairs. 



At present all the back is " black merely spi-inkled with grey," 

 as Mr. Pocock remarks, but on the scalp there are more grey 

 hairs in proportion to black than on the body, and the black of 

 the dorsal surfaces cannot now" be distinguished from the black 

 of the under parts, all black being equally dark in colonr, wdiile the 

 dividing line at junction of grey and black, formerly so distinct 

 and continuous, is now broken up and ill -defined. 



Mr. Pocock has suggested senility as the cause of this change. 



