1922] Allen, Congo Collection of Insectivora 5 



Potamogale velox Allman, 1866, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, VI (1869), pp. 1-16, 

 PL i (animal), PL n (skeleton), text figs. 1-9 (hair, head, ear, feet, anal glands, and 

 sexual organs). A spirit specimen (dentition not complete, lacking the last molar) 

 from Old Calabar. 



Potamogale allmani Jentink, 1895, Notes Leyden Mus., XVI, p. 234. Based on 

 Allman's (as above) detailed account and figures of an immature specimen from Old 

 Calabar, having only 36 teeth. 



Potamogale allmani Grandidier, 1904, Bull. Mus. d'Hist. Nat. Paris, X, p. 51. 

 Two immature specimens, each with only 36 teeth, provisionally referred to Jentink's 

 "espece incertaine," "si son existence reelle etait demontree." Of 9 specimens in the 

 Paris Museum (3 of them without skulls) 6 were yellowish beneath and each of the 

 skulls, so far as available, had 40 teeth. These were referred to P. velox. 



Potamogale velox argens Thomas, 1915, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (8) XVI, December, 

 p. 470. Two specimens: Medje and Poko, Belgian Congo. 



Represented by 51 specimens (with skulls and 7 skeletons), collected 

 as follows : 



Medje, 30 (19 males, 11 females): January 24, 25, March 2-31, 

 April 10-17, May 9 and 13, August 31, and September 10, 1910; February 

 27, April 16, June 4, and July 18, 1914. 



Bafwabaka, 1: January 9, 1910. 



Gamangui, 1: February 20, 1910. 



Niangara, 3: November 11-29, 1910; and June 20, 1913. 



Faradje, 2: February 21 and May 22, 1911. 



Avakubi, 1: December 9, 1913. 



Niapu, 13 (10 males, 3 females) : November 26-December 31, 1913. 



The males number 36, the females 15. The number of fully adult 

 specimens (of which measurements are given below) is 20 (16 males, 4 

 females). More than one half are immature, varying from those in 

 which the third molar, or both the second and third molars, are unde- 

 veloped (number of teeth 32 or 36) to those with mature dentition (40 

 teeth) . 



In respect to seasonal distribution, one or more specimens were 

 taken in each month of the year except October, but the greater part at 

 two quite distinct seasons of the year — December and March (November 

 26-December 31, 13 specimens; March 2-31, 16 specimens). This 

 would seem to afford opportunity for the study of the influence of season 

 upon the coloration and character of the pelage, but unfortunately, this 

 is not the case, since only the Niapu series (taken in December) and a 

 few others were made up from fresh specimens while the greater part 

 (including nearly all of the large series from Medje) were not made up 

 till they were received at the Museum several years later, when it was 

 found that the fatty matter left on the skins had stained the white under- 

 pays. 



