64 EINAR LÖNNBERG, MAMMALS COLLECTED IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 



rather wide. Both specimens have a well developed crista sagittalis, and the presumed 

 female is old with obliterated sutures. The upper canines are keeled in front and be- 

 hind, but by far not provided with such trenchant edges as Temminck's pluto. The 

 greatest antero-posterior diameter is C mm., and the whole tooth considerably more 

 slender than in phito. 



From the measurements may be seen that the Cameroon Marsh Mnngoose has a 

 longer skull, but smaller carnassial and m 1 than phito, especially the inner heel of the 

 latter is much broader in pluto. The teeth of the lower jaw are also smaller than in phito. 

 The transverse diameter of m, of pluto <£ is 6,2 mm., while that of the Cameroon Mun- 

 goose is 5,5 mm. The transverse diameter of p. A is in the former 5 mm., in the latter 4,4 

 mm. and so on. 



The Cameroon Mungoose has a small p 1 present in both specimens, but neither of 

 the pluto specimens is provided with such teeth in the lower jaw. 



The colour of the Marsh Mungoose from Cameroon is also different. The long hairs 

 are black with short subterminal rings of a buffish colour and very broad subbasal whitish 

 rings which are concealed. The animals therefore look very dark. The colour of the under 

 fur is brown most similar to »sepia» (Dauthénay: Rep. de Coul. 300, 1 — 2). The head 

 is grizzled by whitish rings 011 the blackish hairs. On the throat the rings are broader, 

 more numerous and with a yellowish tinge. The limbs and feet are shiny brownish black. 

 The tail is black, the long hairs without subterminal rings, but with the broad subbasal 

 whitish rings which, however, are entirely concealed. The Marsh Mungoose from De- 

 bundsha, Cameroon, is thus so much different from Temminck's pluto as well with regard 

 to colour and pattern as to the skull, especially the teeth, so that it must be regarded as 

 a different race. I suspected then that it might be identical with Mungos naso De Win- 

 ton. 1 The journal, in which this has been described was, however, impossible to obtain 

 in this country, and even my endeavours to secure it from abroad failed. Finally I took 

 the liberty of sending a skull of our Cameroon Marsh Mungoose to Mr. Oldfield Thomas 

 who kindly has compared it with M . naso and found it identical with the same. Accord- 

 ing to my opinion naso must, although well distinct, rank as a subspecies to paludi- 

 nosus, and the above description may serve to f acilitate its identif ication in the f uture as 

 the original diagnose appears difficult to obtain. 



The skull of the Marsh Mungoose collected by Captain Arrhenius appears to have 

 belonged to a female specimen, because the crista sagittalis is not very strongly developed, 

 although the animal has entirely obsolete sutures and worn teeth. Its dimensions are 

 as follows: 



Mungoose from 

 Rutshuru 9 



Greatest length 107,6 mm. 



Condyloincisive length 99 



Basal length 93 



Zygomatic breadth 58 



Interorbital breadth 18,2 » 



Least postoibital breadtli 18 » 



1 Bull. Liverpool Mus. IH, 1901. 



