1906.] RATEL AXD WATER-CHEVROTAiy. 113 



The second auiiual is mainly of interest from a geographical 

 standpoint. The African iA^ater-Ohevrotain {Dorcathermm 

 aquaticiom), of which only a single form has hitherto been 

 recognised, is known to inhabit the West Coast from the Gambia 

 to the Cameroons, b\it does not seem to have been previously 

 recorded from the great Central African Forest, in which it is now 

 demonstrated by Major PoweR- Cotton's specimen to exist. 



As regards cranial characters, the Ituri Che^o-otain presents no 

 points of distinction from West Coast specimens. 



Of skins of the latter the Natural History Museum has a very 

 poor series— or rather no series at all, — possessing two skins (one 

 mounted) of the typical Gambian form presented in the '• forties " 

 by the then Earl of Derby, and one skin collected in the Cameroons 

 by Mr. G. L. Bates. Unfortunately the tail of the Cameroon 

 specimen is wanting. 



The Gambian, Cameroon, and Ituri skins appear to me probably 

 to represent three different races, which may be described and 

 named as follows : — 



A. Markings on under surface of chin, throat, and chest white ; 

 face uniformly chestnut or nearly so. 



a. White markings on back and flanks fully developed ; a very 



distinct white flank-band running from the shoulder along 

 the flanks to join transverse loin-band ; two other flank- 

 bands below this; spots on back forming distinct and 

 continuous transverse bands; tail with much brown above. 

 JDorcatherium aqioaticum typicum. 

 Gambia. 



b. Light markings on back and flanks less distinct and less 



numerous; "flank-band yellow instead of white, almost 

 disappearing midway between head and fore limbs; no 

 flank-bands'below it ; spots on back less distinctly in the 

 form of bands ; tail with a very large amount of white, and 

 apparently more bushy than in last. 



D. a. cottoni (subsp. nov.). 

 Ituri Forest. 

 B. Markings on under surface of chin, throat, and chest yellow ; 

 face with a black chevron running from the muzzle to the eyes. 



c. Light markings on back in the form of yellowish-white spots 



anteriorly, but on the loins forming almost continuous 

 yellow bands, arranged alternately on each side of the 

 middle line, where they are interrupted; one distinct 

 yellowish flank-band joining transverse rump- band ; tail 

 brown at base, rest unknown. 



D. a. batesi (subsp. nov.). 

 Cameroons. 



If the yellow in Mr. Bates's specimen be due to staining, my 

 conclusions will, at least to a certain extent, be wrong. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE VIL 

 Ituri Black Ratel {Mellivora cottoni). Prom Major Powell -Cotton's specimen. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1906, Vol. I. No. YIII. b 



