SPOTTED HY.ENAS IN THE BRITISU MUSEUM. 99 



West- African C. togoensis appears to be the only species similar 

 in colour to the Uganda B[ya?na, but according to plate 104 of 

 Dr. Heck's ' Lebende Bilder aus dem Reiche der Tiere,' in 

 M'hich the type of the species is figured, in the Togo Hysena the 

 large spots are more regular in form, and there are among them 

 some very small spots which are not present in thomasi. The 

 skull of togoensis is, moreover, of the broad, not of the narrow, 

 type. The original specimen is a young one, and thei-efore use- 

 less for comparison, but an old topotypical specimen in the Berlin 

 Museum, Prof. Matschie kindly informs me, presents the follow- 

 ing dimensions : width of palate across the carnassials, 107"1 mm. ; 

 upper tooth-series, 99-8; lower tooth-series, 109-3. Of course, it 

 was not to be expected that a so plastic group would be re- 

 presented by the same form in two countries so widely separated. 

 I have much pleasure in naming the Uganda Hysena in honour 

 of Mr. Thomas, as a remembrance of the kindness shown me while 

 examining the invaluable collections under his charge. 



Orocuta nyas^, sp. n. 



Diagnosis. — A pale yellowish Hysena, with large dark spots and 

 pale brown feet. 



Coloior. — General colour dirty bujff; mane pale ochraceous ; 

 belly dark brown. The spots are dark Vandyke-brown, large and 

 very scattered on the body, smaller and more close-set on the 

 limbs. On the sides of the neck there are some faint traces of 

 brownish-red spots. The muzzle is of a pale, dirty wood-brown, 

 and the feet are of this same colour, somewhat lighter. 



Skull. — Palate long and narrow, its greatest breadth practically 

 equal to the length of the upper tooth-row. Zygomatic arches 

 comparatively close to the skull. 



Skull-measarements (of adult female, paratype).— Condylo-basal 

 length, 260 mm, ; zygomatic breadth, 179 ; interorbital breadth, 

 61; postoi-bital constriction, 48; rostral breadth on canines, 69 ; 

 width of palate across the carnassials, 110 ; mandible, from, 

 condyle, 190: upper tooth-series, 111; lower tooth-series, 119; 

 upper carnassial, 38 x 20 : lower carnassial, 32 x 12. 



Hah. Mount Milanji, South Nyasaland. 



Type. Immature skin and skull. B.M. no. 92.8.1.5. Col- 

 lected by Alexander Why tea nd presented by Sir Harry Johnston. 



Remarks. — There are in the British Museum, besides the type, 

 an old female skull (92.8.1.4), measured above, and a stuffed 

 specimen exhibited in the public galleries, both received from 

 Sir Harry Johnston. The species, which very probably is the 

 same as found in Portuguese Ea,st Africa, is readily distinguish- 

 able from C. germinans, its geographically nearest ally, this latter 

 being a much darker animal, wood-brown with the mane clay- 

 colour. 



