. Contribution to the K^iotoledge of the Cape Golden Moles. 299 



persuade myself of the wisdom of regarding as distinct species 

 animals which cannot be distinguished by the skull or dentition. 



Chrysochloeis hottentota longiceps, sub-sp. nov. 



This variety of C. hottentota differs so markedly from the typical 

 form that it seems worthy of at least sub-specific rank. In the 

 Maritzburg Museum there is a specimen from "near Maritzburg " 

 which may be taken as the type. 



In colour it closely resembles the darker varieties of C. hottentota, 

 the back being dark brown and the sides reddish brown. The lower 

 parts of the cheek are also lighter, as in typical C. hottentota, though 

 the abdomen is darker than in the Cape Colony specimens. 



In the Pretoria Museum are two specimens, one from Volksrust 

 and the other from the same district of Wakkerstroom in the 

 Transvaal. These two are undoubtedly the same subspecies as 

 the Maritzburg specimen. The specimen marked '* Wakkerstroom " 

 is practically identical in colour with the Natal one, but the " Volks- 

 rust " specimen is very much lighter. The back is reddish brown of 

 almost the exact tint of the typical reddish Grahamstown specimens. 

 The sides are rather brighter, and the abdomen much brighter rufous 

 than is usual in Cape Colony specimens. The frontal and supra- 

 nasal regions are brown flecked with white hairs, which are much 

 more numerous in the region of the eye. Below the ocular region 

 there is a small patch of pale brownish-yellow hairs. 



All these specimens agree in being considerably larger than the 

 typical C. hottentota. The type specimens, though shrunk in spirit, 

 measures : head and body 135 mm., and the hind foot 16 mm. 

 The measurement of the Wakkerstroom specimen collected by Dr. 

 Lyster Jameson is given as 128 mm., and the hind foot, though dry, 

 still measures 16 mm. In the Volksrust specimen the hind foot 

 measures 15 mm. 



The skull measurements of the three specimens are as follows : — 



Maritzburg 



Length. 



. 29 



Breadth. 



19-3 



Height. 



14 



Orbital 

 Region. 



9-3 



Dental 



Series. 



10-8 



Molar 



Series. 



6 



Palatal 

 Width. 



8-8 



Wakkerstroom.. 



. 30-2 



19-5 



14-2 



9-7 



11 



6-4 



8-3 



Volksrust 



. 30 



18-6 



14-2 



9-8 



11-7 



6-6 



8-4 



If these measurements be compared with those of typical specimens 

 of C. hottentota they will be found to be all considerably greater, but 

 the expansion of the interorbital region is proportionally so much 

 greater that a skull of this sub-species can be at once and readily 

 distinguished. 



