PEOCAVIA ECMCEPS. 
325 
Berlin Museum. 
Hyrax ruficeps, Ehrenb. Dongola, Ehrenberg and Hempricb. 
At present the general colour of this museum specimen, evidently much faded, 
is pale sandy brown, a brownish yellow above, on the trunk generally, and on the 
outsides of the limbs, but the upper surface of the head is reddish brown. The 
under parts are much paler than the upper parts, and nearly sandy yellowish white. 
The rufous tint of the upper surface of the head is continued on to the sides of the 
cheek below the eye, but anterior to the eye the face is sandy yellow. The dorsal 
glandular area is long and well defined, and the hairs covering it are orange-yellow, 
except at their tips which are concolorous with the rest of the back. 
The total length of the fur is about 25 mm., but a few hairs of the ordinary fur are 
longer; the isolated scattered black bristles measure about 45 mm. long. The 
ordinary fur is for about 8 mm. at its base dark brown, succeeded by an area of pale 
somewhat golden yellow for about 10 mm. or more, followed by a dark-brown 
area, then by a yellowish annulus and a blackish tip. 
Snout to vent. ..about 390 mm. 
The total length of the skull from the upper border of the foramen magnum to the 
tip of the premaxillaries is 82 mm., and from the lower border to the same point 
76 mm. The mesial line of the palate measures 41 mm. Anterior orbital angle of 
frontal to tip of premaxillaries 27 mm. Breadth of snout at its base 14 mm. 
mm. 
Length of upper dental line. 34 
„ last upper molar. g-g 
,, penultimate upper molar. 7-5 
„ dental line of lower jaw. 35 
„ last lower molar. g-g 
,, penultimate lower molar. g .2 
A half-grown young individual of this species, also from Dongola (305 mm. long), is 
uniformly pale brownish sandy-coloured, like P. sinaitica. The ears are pointed and 
measure about 19 mm. in height behind, 23-5 in front, and 21 in breadth. 
P. ruficeps is distinguished from P. habessinica, Ehrenb., by the long linear shape 
of its dorsal gland, by the broad but feeble annulation of the fur in the adult, and by 
the gradual increase in size of the teeth from before backwards, without any sudden 
enlargement of the last three molars. The skull also is not so elongated as that of 
P. habessinica, and is marked by great occipital breadth. Compared with the skull 
of P. habessinica of the same age, it has a narrower muzzle, and the palatal border of 
the posterior nares is much broader and more open. 
