652 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History [Vol. LXVI 



few blond scales, usually on the tail but occasionally occurring on the 

 flanks. That this lack of basal pigmentation in these few scales is not 

 due to post-mortem desiccation or other changes is demonstrated by 

 their visibility in a photograph of a specimen in the flesh (Plate XXXV, 

 figure 2). Preserved skins often show a pronounced difference in color, 

 due to soiling, that disappears when the scales are wetted. 



The belly hair is black in most individuals, but in some is bleached or 

 entirely changed to tawny or to russet. In none of the specimens ex- 

 amined does the throat or chin hair show any deviation from black. 

 The hair over the dorsum of the antibrachium varies from black to russet, 

 the usual combination being a black center stripe flanked by russet. 



The external characters of a fresh specimen obtained by Mr. Lang 

 were described in his field notes as follows : "The whole face, inclusive of 

 nose and ears, dark brown, nearly black. The eyelids are thick and 

 protruding, the eyes themselves are small and appear brilliant black. 

 The toenails are blackish, the pads brown. The naked skin on the under 

 side near fore limbs pinkish brown. The naked skin about the anal 

 region pinkish gray. The scales look as nice and clean as if they had been 

 rubbed off with oil. The anal region is slightly protruding, the penis 

 hardly visible, the testes underlying the skin are imbedded in the fatty 

 tissue outside of the abdomen (without forming a scrotum)." 



Age Change. — In this species the alteration of the scales with 

 advancing age does not follow the same pattern as that of the other two 

 pangolins secured. The scales of the back retain the regular contours of 

 youth until extreme old age, when, to judge principally from a large 

 male specimen in the United States National Museum (No. 220402), 

 collected by Mr. C. R. Aschemeier near Fernand Vaz, the scales are 

 arrested in their growth and become scarred, broken, and irregular. The 

 small scales of the head, feet, and under surface of the tail of this speci- 

 men are so extremely worn that in many cases they are reduced to 

 little polished nodules presenting no free edge. 



There is a tendency for the keeled scales of the sides, crus, and under 

 tail to become mucronate and to parallel to a slight degree the tridentate 

 scale shape of tricuspis. This is most pronounced in mid-life. 



Color changes of the scales are confined to the shoulder and head, 

 where a gradual darkening occurs at the base of these growing structures. 



The hair over the belly of the older individuals is longer and denser 

 than that in younger individuals from the same area. 



Geographic Variation. — Representatives of the long-tailed pango- 

 lins from areas other than the Medje forest district do not always fall 



