242 
THE MAMMALS OP EGYPT. 
A specimen in the British Museum, No. 87.12.1.20, from Lado on the Nile, close to 
Gondokoro, collected and presented by Emin Pasha, differs only from I. senegalensis 
in having the interaural black band broader than in the Western form. In this 
respect it is intermediate between senegalensis and the Southern form, as it is also in 
having the frontal spot somewhat larger and tending to unite with the white preaural 
band ; the two bands, however, are not joined, except by a few white hairs which occur 
among the black in the intervening space. In a specimen from Ukamba, 92.12.3.9, the 
white frontal spot is practically united with the white preaural band, but the line of union 
is still indicated by the presence of black hairs among the white. From the way in 
Avhich these two forms pass into one another and into 1. senegalensis, as shown by an 
immature specimen from Cape de Verde, in which there is the same tendency in the 
white frontal spot to unite with the preaural white band as occurs in the Ukamba 
specimen, it is evident that the latter cannot be separated from I. senegalensis. The 
Lado specimen has the interaural black band broader than in the Senegal and Ukamba 
specimens, and in this respect approaches the South-African form, but the white frontal 
spot is considerably larger than in the Senegal animal. Besides the more pronounced 
dorsal bands, the only point therefore in which the South-xifrican form differs from 
these is in the much greater amount of black than white on the head; but in four 
specimens in the British Museum from South Africa there is distinct evidence that the 
extent of white in animals from that region is subject to variation. 
All these forms, as already said, are large animals, but the typical 1. senegalensis is 
larger than the form found in the Nile basin, which may be indicated as subsp. inter¬ 
media, nov. The Suakin form is still smaller, but it is distinctly closely related to this 
latter race from Lado, and like it the frontal and preaural white areas show a tendency 
to unite, by the presence of a few white hairs. The interaural black band also is broad 
as in that race, but it shows a tendency to be divided in the mesial line by a backward 
prolongation of the white frontal spot. This is only feebly indicated by the presence 
of a few white hairs among the black, but no actual division has taken place and 
the band is broad in the mesial line. It is possible that forms may turn up with these 
patches actually divided. This small eastern race, which extends the distribution of 
this species from Cape de Verde to the Red Sea, has been distinguished by de Winton 
under the name of I. erythreoe. 
[Although there is no doubt that the Ictonyx found at Suakin is nearly related to 
the form from Senegambia, and there is every likelihood of the discovery of further 
intermediate forms, still, in the meantime, it is considered advisable to treat the Suakin 
race as a species.—W. E. de W.J 
