68 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



difference between the two forms. Schwarz relies largely on the yellow 

 suffusion and gives the habitat as Assam, it may be that later we may find 

 that all the animals in Assam show this yellow suffusion in which case there 

 may be reason to accept vicinus as a subspecies, but in the meantime 1 

 think it is safer to use the specific name niger. 



(28) MuNGOS MUNGO, Gmel. 



The Common Bengal Mongoose. 



Synonymy in No. 19. 



(5 2, Hasimara. 



i^See also Reports Nos. 2J and 23). 



(29) MuNGOS AtJROPTJNCTAXUS, HodgS. 



The Small Indian Mongoose. 



1836. 

 1888. 



Mangusta aurojjunctata, Hodgson, J. A. S. B., v., p. 236. 

 Herpestes auropunctatus, Blanford. Mammalia, No. 58. 

 S 16, $ 2, Hasimara ; (5 1, $ 3, Bharnabari. 



We have already had occasion to take palli))es out of Blanford's synonymy 

 of this species, and persicus is equally distinct, nepalensis has hitherto been 

 represented only by Gray's original three lines of description ; recently 

 however, Mr. Thomas, in going through a number of stuffed specimens, 

 withdrawn from public exhibition, was able to identify one of them as the 

 type of Gray's H. nepalensis. It now appears that, though the two animals 

 closely resemble each other in many respects, nepalensis is distinguishable 

 by its finer pattern. The type locality of nepalensis is given by Gray as 

 " N. India." It appears to be a rare animal. The National Collection 

 contains no specimen except the type, and from its absence from the 

 long series collected by Hodgson in Nepal, and from his drawings, it seems 

 very doubtful whether it occurs at all in that country. On re-examining 

 the Survey stock I find that Mr. Crump obtained two specimens in 

 Midnapur, recorded in the Bengal, Behar and Orissa Report, under the 

 name of auropunctatus, which appear to me to represent nepalensis. 



In the circumstances it will be interesting to record some measurements 

 of the two species :-- 



