KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAK. BAND 48. N:0 5. 



107 



18 in 



between the anterior and posterior interorbital width of this latter Porcupine 

 the two largest of 11 skulls 4 and 5 mm. It decreases in the smaller (younger) 

 skulls, although irregularly, and is in them 1 or 2 mm. In one of the smaller skulls 

 both dimensions are alike and in one of the rather young, although not one of the 

 youngest, the condition is inverted so that the anterior interorbital dimension even 

 is 3 mm. smaller than the posterior. 



Considering all these facts it is difficult to believe that the eventual geographic 

 races of Hystrix galeata can be divided in two groups by such an uncertain and 

 variable character as the relation between the anterior and posterior interorbital 

 measurements. It appears rather to have only relative value even as a subspecific 

 character. Ferd. Muller's foundation of H. g. Idnnbergi is thus, I regret to say, 

 as yet not at all proved, and the Porcupines of Kilimanjaro which according to my 

 opinion represent H. galeata must still be regarded to do so. 



The type locality of the species is Lamu. Thomas described' afterwards a spe- 

 cimen from Ntebbe. This was an old female the skull of which I have had the 

 opportunity of seeing in Brit. Museum. The breadth of this skull across the post- 

 orbital processes is 71,5 mm., exactly the same as in a Kilimanjaro specimen in this 

 museum. Two other specimens of H. galeata in Brit. Museum from Fort Hall which 

 both are fully adult, one of them may even be termed old, have the same dimen- 

 sions resp. 65 and 63 mm. but at least the latter is a male and that sex is often 

 smaller among the Porcupines. 



On the acacia steppe northeast of Kenia between the tributaries to Guaso Nyiri, 

 Luazomela and Itiolu rivers I obtained a Porcupine. A skull of another from »Nor- 

 thern Guaso Nyiri» was bought in Nairobi from a hunter returning from the locality 

 mentioned. Both these specimens are of male sex, and both are fully mature. Ac- 

 cording to my opinion they represent H. galeata as the foUoAving measurements com- 

 pared with those of some other skulls appear to confirm. 



Basicranial length of skull 



Distance from occipital crest to tip of preraaxillaries 



Length of parietal suture 



» » frontal » 



» » nasals 



Combined breadth of nasals at anterior end of nasopremaxillary suture 

 » » » » » posterior » » » » 



Interorbital width at upper edge of lacrymals 



» » » postorbital processes 



1 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1901, p. 87. 



