1934] Hatt, American Museum Congo Expedition Pangolins and Aard-Varks 647 



The accumulated observations of the past century show profound 

 differences between gigantea and its nearest relative, temminckii, but 

 due either to a remarkable uniformity of the species or to the rarity of 

 specimens, no one has yet pointed out any geographic differentiation 

 within either species. The Congo Expedition series, representing the 

 eastern limit of the range of gigantea, forms a basis for the judgment of 

 range of variation found in specimens from other localities. 



Size. — The external measurements — average (minimum-maxi- 

 mum) — of twelve adult Manis gigantea, taken from animals in the flesh, 

 are as follows: 





Total Length 



Tail Length 



12 d\ 9 



1373 (1185-1530) 



627 (550-700) 



5 tf 



1438 (1370-1530) 



674 (650-700) 



7 9 



1298 (1185-1365) 



596 (545-675) 



The maximum size of the species appears not to be represented by 

 this series, for Schubotz (1912, p. 356) has recorded a specimen 1650 

 mm. long from Angu, andThilonius (1912, p. 373) mentions one 1600 mm. 

 in length. Also there is a skull from Liberia in the collections of the Mu- 

 seum of Comparative Zoology that is slightly larger than any in the 

 Congo collection. 



Color. — The color and color pattern show some divergence in the 

 series that is in part traceable to age changes but which is also somewhat 

 the result of differences in methods of preservation. The greater 

 number of the skins have been tanned and are thus free of foreign color- 

 ing matter, but a few have not received further treatment than that 

 which was given them in the field, and, in consequence, the furrows on 

 the bases of the scales harbor a considerable amount of the red soil of 

 the region, and the general color of the animal is altered. 



In the adults of medium size a color pattern is attained which is the 

 same in both sexes and may be considered typical of the species. In a 

 specimen of such an animal the scales of the head, neck, shoulders, arm, 

 and hind legs are dominantly dark olive-brown. 1 This color shades 

 gradually into avellaneous over the dorsal region. Individually the 

 head scales are uniformly heavily pigmented except for light marginal 

 bands of buffy brown. The dark area is more and more restricted toward 

 the rear, so that in the mid-dorsal region the deep olive is confined to the 

 basal and medial superior surface. This is flanked by a variable brown- 

 ish area that is near buckthorn. Over the tail a deep Roman green 

 assumes increasing prominence in the apical part of the scale. Here the 

 base of the scale is a light brown. 



x The color terms refer to Ridgway's ' Color Standards and Color Nomenclature.' 



