78 THE MAMMALS OF ETHIOPIAN AFRICA 



members of the weasel tribe have the power of producing a more or less evil odour 

 thus rendering them unsuitable as food for other animals. 



Africa possesses two otters, one being the large Cape clawless 

 species (Lutra [Aonyx] capensis) which is widely distributed south of 

 the Gold Coast and Zanzibar, ranging into Cape Colony and even to the vicinity 

 of Cape Town itself. In the rudimentary condition of its claws this otter agrees 

 with an Indian species. It is, however, of much larger size, measuring some 

 50 inches in length, inclusive of the 18-inch tail, and is indeed next in point of size 

 to the giant otter of tropical South America. The spot-necked otter (L. maculicollis) 

 is, on the other hand, a much smaller species, with fully developed claws, taking its 

 name from the presence of a number of yellowish red spots on the throat and chest. 

 It is also characterised by the great relative length of the hind limbs. The range of 

 this species extends from Liberia and the west coast generally through Angola, 

 Nyasaland, the Transvaal, and Natal to Cape Colony. As regards habits, the spot- 

 necked otter lives mostly in the water, and can remain a considerable time beneath 

 the surface : when coming up to breathe it exposes only the tip of its muzzle. It 

 feeds mainly on fishes, although natives report that it robs the nests of sedge- 

 dwelling birds of their eggs and young. The clawless Cape otter is, on the other 

 hand, much less aquatic in its habits, being more often found among reeds or thick 

 grass (when it may be shot over dogs) than in the water. It cannot remain more 

 than from one to two minutes under water ; and when it rises to the surface, 

 generally exposes its whole body, the head appearing first, then the back, and 

 finally the tail. In fact, it performs a rolling movement not unlike that of a 

 dolphin. Examination of the stomachs of a number of specimens proves that its 

 food consists of crabs and water-snails. In disposition it is much fiercer than the 

 other species — so much so, in fact, that few dogs will face one when wounded. At 

 the approach of danger it takes refuge among grass or reeds. 



The East African race of the clawless species (L. capensis hindei), which also 

 feeds mainly on crabs, appears to be unable to capture fish, except when they are 

 penned up in small pools during the dry season. Correlated with the crab-eating 

 habit is the blunter character of the crowns of the cheek-teeth, which lack the 

 sharp cusps of those of the European otter. This crab-eating otter does not enter 

 into competition with the fish-eating species, and it is, therefore, interesting to 

 find that a representative of the latter inhabits the same rivers. 



The small number of African representatives of the Mustelidce forms a marked 

 contrast to the great variety of the Ethiopian Viverridce ; and in this respect there 

 is a remarkable difference between Africa and Asia. 



Taking- leave of the Carnivora, the attention of the reader may 



Buffaloes 



be directed to the great family of hollow-horned ruminants, or 

 Bovidce, of which Africa contains an enormous number of representatives, belonging 

 for the most part to that indefinable group commonly known as antelopes. The 

 ox tribe is, however, represented by various forms of buffaloes, all of which are 

 best regarded as local races of a single variable species. In addition to certain 

 peculiarities in connection with the skull and horns, African buffaloes are dis- 

 tinguished from their Asiatic relatives by the hair of the back (which in old animals 

 often becomes extremely scant) being directed uniformly backwards, in place of 



