Dr. Horsfield on a new Species of Mustela, 239 



habit similar to that animal ; the tail however is proportionally longer, 

 and more regularly cyhndrical. Body long and slender, being more 

 robust and elevated at the rump, gradually tapering towards the shoulder ; 

 neck slender; head conical, of moderate length, somewhat compressed 

 above, abruptly terminated at the muzzle ; ears short, truncated above, 

 orifice large, open, and bordered anteriorly by a thick semispiral tuft of 

 hairs, forming a convoluted entrance to the organ of hearing ; eyes in- 

 termediate between the muzzle and ears ; whiskers few in number, short, 

 slender, and closely applied to the head ; a few short, lax, white, bristly 

 hairs, in a tuft at the gape of the jaws ; fur on the body, extremities and 

 tail long and lax, on the head and neck soft, delicate, and closely applied ; 

 tail equal in length to the body and neck conjointly, cylindrical through- 

 out, bushy or covered with long, lax, rather bristly hairs ; posterior legs 

 proportionally long, thighs remarkably stout ; claws long, strongly curv- 

 ed and compressed, semiretractile. 



Mustela Hardwickii. 

 M, capite et coUo supra pedibus cauddque nigris, corpore toto coUoque 



suhtus sordide testaceis, guld albidd. 

 Tab. VIII. 



The head and neck above, the extremities, tail and posterior part of the 

 rump are black ; the neck underneath, and the whole of the body, are 

 of a sandy yellow or testaceous colour, exhibiting in a certain disposition 

 to the light a slight glossy reflexion, the dark is more intense on the head 

 and neck, and the upper parts are here separated by well-defined lateral 

 and posterior boundary-lines from the under parts and nape; on. 

 the feet and on the root of the tail the colour partakes of the testa- 

 ceous tint of the body; the two colours gradually pass into each 

 other at the union of the extremities with the body; the rump 

 and thighs are clouded, tawny hairs being loosely scattered among 

 the blackish hairs of the hinder parts ; many of the separate hairs 

 have likewise alternate dark and tawny bands ; the throat and muzzle 

 underneath are nearly white ; the ears are entirely comprised within the 

 dark upper parts, the trimcated boundary of the lobe above is beset with 

 a line of tawny hairs ; the claws are rather pale, inclining to white ; the 

 soles of the feet are naked, prominent, and black. 



