150 HEEPESTTDJE. 



together on the forehead at a line rather in front of the hinder edge 

 of the orbit. The orbits are large, the hinder edge entire ; the hinder 

 part of the skuU is broad ; the hinder part of the palate between the 

 temporal muscles is narrow and elongate, the hinder opening being- 

 nearer the hinder than the front edge of the temporal fossae. The 

 hinder grinders are slender ; the crown of the flesh-tooth is trian- 

 gular, the froot side being the shortest, with the inner tubercle on 

 the straight front edge. 



12. Herpestes^a^rter-" ■ ' "" B.M. 



Black ; sides of the head, neck, and front of the body pale brownish, 

 with broad white subterminal bands on the ends of the hairs ; hairs 

 harsh ; tail black, grey at the base, hairs not ringed at the end ; 

 front of thighs, legs, and feet black. 



Hei-pestes Pluto, Temm. Esq. Zool. p. 93, 1853 ; Gray, P. Z. S. 18G4, 

 p. 552. 

 Rab. Guinea (Temminck) ; West Coast of Africa (Gerrard), adult ; 

 ? East Africa ( Verreaii.v). 



The adult specimens from Gerrard and Verreaux are rather paler 

 than the younger one from Leyden ; length of head and body 20 

 inches, tail 14 inches. Younger from Guinea, length of body and 

 head 16 inches, tail 11 inches. They have also a slight indication 

 of a crest of longer black hairs on the back of the neck. 



Skull short, broad ; nose shelving ; forehead convex ; crow n flat ; 

 orbits complete. False grinders | ; first conical, blunt ; the second 

 compressed ; the third trigonal, with a distinct internal and hinder 

 tubercle. Flesh-tooth rather longer than wide on the front edge ; 

 the inner tubercle on front edge, broad, rounded. Tubercular grinders 

 transverse ; the front about twice as wide as long, rounded on the 

 inner edge ; the second smaller, rather oblong, with two well-marked 

 tubercles, rather narrower and more acute on the hinder part of the 

 inner edge. 



Skull — length 3i inches ; width at zygoma 2^ inches, of brain- 

 cavity 1| inch. 



" Like the ff. hempo ; the head and muzzle longer ; tail shorter, 

 covered with hairs like those of the body ; fur of body, limbs, and 

 tail intense shining black ; under-fur sombre or dark brown ; the 

 fur of the chin, throat, and cheeks black, with very small yeUow 

 dots ; all the rest intense black. The younger are marked with very 

 fine dots, produced by the yellow rings on the black hairs." — Temm. 

 This does not agree with the specimen (which appears to be chan- 

 ging its teeth) which we received from the Leyden Museum. 



13. Herpestes iodoprymnus. 



"Supra ex albido griseoque variegatus, capito, coUo, maniculis 

 atque podariis cinerascentibus, hypochondriis viridi-griseis, prymna 

 saturate castanea, pectore, abdomine cristaque uuicoloribus ex ru- 

 fescente isabellinis ; cauda longe disticha, basim versus villosissima. 



