14 EINAR LÖNNBERG, MAMMALS COLLECTED IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 



statements of the same. The author just quoted says (1. c. III, p. 222) concerning Gorilla 

 beringei: »Skull: total length 320» (mm.). Everybody used to read zoological works 

 would of course take this to mean that the distance from gnathion to occiput measured 

 in a straight Ii ne is 320 mm. The dimension quoted appeared, however, compared with 

 others to be rather great and thus to be susj^ected. I took therefore the liberty of writing 

 to Professor Matschie who very kindly gave the following very im portant information: 

 »Der Typus von beringei ist allerdings 320 mm. läng, wenn man den Schädel von der Kau- 

 fläche der Incisivi mit dem Bandmasse iiber den Scheitel hinweg bis zur Protuberantia 

 occipitalis externa misst (!); aber mit dem Taster erhält man einsehliesslich der Incisivi 

 286 mm. vom Gnathion aus 280 mm. und zwar auf der linken Seite bei der Pro- 

 tuberantia 276 mm. » By this method of measuring without informing the reader 

 about the same Elliot's statement is extremely confusing. 



Thus instead of being larger than the skull of the Mikeno Gorilla as could have 

 expected that of G. beringei is considerably smaller as the following comparison proves. 



Mikeno Gorilla G. beringei 



cT ad. ef ad. 



Total length of skull 310,5 mm. 276 mm. 



Basal length (Hensel) 231 » 196' » 



Condylobasal length 255 » 2I7 2 » 



This difference is thus very great and can hardly be explained by the fact that 

 the type of G. beringei is a little younger. According to a communication in a letter from 

 Matschie it has the basal suture open but »das Gebiss ist vollständig im Gebrauch, auch 

 fullen die Eckzälmc ihre Alveolen aus». The length of the palate is in G. beringei (fide 

 Elliot) 116 mm., but in the Mikeno Gorilla not less than 137 mm., and the latter appears 

 thus to have the longest palate of all known Gorillas. In spite of this length of the palate 

 in the latter, it has the distance from the palatal arch to the occiput 194 mm., while the 

 same measurement (fide Elliot) in G. beringei is only 173 mm. The length of the upper 

 molar series is in the latter 68 mm. (fide Elliot), but in the Mikeno Gorilla 72,5 mm. 3 

 The nasals of G. beringei are at the broadest place narrower than the nasal opening, and 

 in the original description Matschie says: »die Nasalen sind breit und verj iingen sich ganz 

 allmählich gegen den freien Rand hin». As can be seen from the description above the 

 anterior end of the nasals occupy the whole upper margin of the nasal opening in the 

 Mikeno Gorilla. They are thus not narrowed in front and considerably broader than in 

 G. beringei. The eyebrow-ridge is much thicker, about twice as thick in the Mikeno 

 Gorilla as in G. beringei. According to Matschie the greatest breadth of the occiput of 

 G. beringei is 145 mm. and planum nuchale is 32 mm. broader than high. As is to be 

 seen from the above table of measurements the breadth of the planum nuchale of the 

 Mikeno Gorilla is 165 and it is 62,s mm. broader than high. 



1 Fide Elliot. 



- Communicated by Matschie. 



3 In this connection il oiight i<> be noted thal Elliot has recorded the length di m ' in (1. beringei to 17 mm., 

 but arrordin»' to a comiiiiinicatiou Ironi Matschie it is only 15 inrn. 



