KTJNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 48. N:0 5. 161 



referred to this species until Matschie recently created two subspecific names K. c. 

 pallidus from Shebelli, Somaliland, and K. c. thikce from Thika river, Brit. East 

 Africa. The first of these names is based on two immature specimens; It is thus 

 uncertain whether the characteristics quoted by Matsohie are constant. These are: 

 5 The ground-colour is not a mixture of grey and russet brown but very light brown 

 without any reddish tint. The white eye-stripe reaches only 2,5 cm. beyond the eye 



in fronts . The light colour may stand in correspondence with the youth 



of the specimens. If the second characteristic is constant, it distinguishes K. c. pal- 

 lidus from my specimens from Guaso Nyiri. The white eye-markings are also much 

 larger in the latter which hardly can be explained by their greater age. 



The Thika-race, based upon an adult buck from Thika river, is said to be 

 characterized by its »tief dunkelbraune Farbung und dadurch dass die Hiiftbinde auf 

 der Mitte des Hinterriickens unterbrochen ist». The last of these characteristics does 

 not need to be constant in a race of Waterbucks, as can be judged from the fact that 

 in one of my bucks from below Chanler Falls, and in the cow shot near the crossing 

 of the Marsabit road on the northern side of Guaso Nyiri such an interruption of 

 the rump-band takes place, but not in the other buck, although it was shot at 

 exactly the same place as the first. Concerning the description of the colour of 

 K. e. thikce there are also several discrepancies from my specimens. One of these 

 is that in K. e. thikce »auf der Mitte der Brust befindet sich ein grosser weisser 

 Fleck*. No such marking is to be found in my specimens. The latter appear also 

 to be less dark, especially on throat and chest, which are said to be »warm-sepia- 

 farbig oder russfarbig (Rep. de Couleurs 305. 1) mit grau gemischt» in the Thika- 

 race, while the corresponding parts of my specimens rather deserve to bctermed 

 pale smoke grey somewhat tinged with brown (conf. below). As it could have been 

 suspected that such a white spot on the breast as that mentioned in the description 

 of. K. e. thikce might be an individual variation, I took the liberty of writing of 

 Prof. Matschie and asking him about this. But in his reply he declined the possi- 

 bility mentioned saying: »Dass die breite weisse Stelle auf der Brust meines Kohus 

 elUfsiprymnus thikce individuell sein soUte, glaube ich nicht; so etwas als Variation 

 habe ich noch nicht gefunden.* Concerning the colour of throat and chest in K. e. 

 thikce the author also kindly gave the following explanation: sDie Kehle und Brust 

 sind sehr dunkel, die Warm-Sepia-Farbe herrschf vor, der Riicken ist nur rot- 

 licher.* Since Matschie this way had still more sharply defined the characteri- 

 stics of the Thika Waterbuck I must state that my specimens from Guaso Nyiri 

 cannot he counted to the Thika race as I had expected. The following descrip- 

 tion proves more fully the differences. The back is grizzled, the ground colour 

 being hoary or whitish grey overlaid with »warm sepias (Rep des Couleurs» 305. 2). 

 The warm sepia colour dominates over the hoary on the rump, and also, although 

 less markedly, above the shoulders. Towards the sides the warm sepia fades 

 more and more and is replaced by »otter brown* (j>Rep. de Couleurs 354) begin- 

 ning with darker shades and finally passing to the lightest on the lower flanks 

 where the light grey wholly dominates. The under parts are whitish with an 



K. Sv. Tet. Akad. Handl. Band 48. N:o 6. 21 



