MUNGOS 441 



Malayan Islands ; in the INIediterranean region one species 

 inhabits the Iberian Peninsula. 



Characters. — External form ferret-like ; the ear low and 

 wide ; the tail broad and flattened at base, tapering con- 

 spicuously through terminal half, the fur coarse, grizzled ; soles 

 and palms naked ; claws long, non-retractile ; skull robust, 

 deepened anteriorly ; orbit small, nearly or quite surrounded by 

 bone ; backward median extension of palate long ; auditory bulla 

 complete, its two divisions conspicuously contrasted in size and 



form ; dental formula : i ^-, c ' ^ pm ■* "*, m - ■; = 40 : cheek-teeth 

 ' 33' 1-1' ■' 4-4' 22 ' 



trenchant. 



BemarJcs. — The widely dispersed genus Mungos, which is one 

 of the most characteristic features of the carnivorous fauna of 

 Africa and southern Asia, where about 60 forms have been dis- 

 covered, is unknown in Europe outside of the Iberian Peninsula. 



MUNGOS WIDDRINGTONII Gray. 



18-12. HcrjKstes loiddnngtoiiii Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1st ser., ix, 



p. 50, March, 1842. Type in British Museum. 

 1909. Herpestes ichneumon var. ferruginca Seabra, Bull. Soc. Portugaise 



Sci. Nat., II, p. 286, May, 1909 (Altemejo, Portugal). 

 1909. Herpestes ichneumon var. dorsalis Seabra, Bull. Soc. Portugaise Sci. 



Nat., II, p. 286, May, 1909 (Eibatcjo, Portugal). 



1909. Herpestes ichneumon var. grisea Seabra, Bull. Soc. Portugaise Sci. 



Nat., II, p. 286, May, 1909 (Ribatejo, Portugal). 



1910. Herpestes ichneumon widdringtoni Trouessart, Faune Mamm. 



d'Europe, p. 89. 



Tijpe locality. — Sierra Morena, Spain. 



GeograpMcal distribution. — Iberian Peninsula, principally in 

 the south ; exact limits of range not known. 



Diagnosis. — Similar to the African Mungos icltnemnon, but 

 with larger carnassial teeth (greatest diameter of upper carnassial 

 about 11 '8 instead of 10*8 in males, 11 "2 instead of 10 '2 in 

 females), and more inflated auditory buUai (lateral diameter of 

 swollen portion about 12 mm. instead of 10 mm.). 



External characters. — Genei'al form slender and ferret-like, 

 the conspicuously tapering tail about as long as body without 

 head, the legs short, the head rather small and pointed, the ear 

 low and rounded, the fur remarkably coarse and harsh. Ear 

 scarcely rising above fur, its width decidedly greater than height 

 from meatus, its outline evenly rounded. Rostrum slender, 

 tapering, the nostril pad entirely naked, its surface nearly 

 smooth, the bare area extending downward as a narrow line 

 across middle of upper lip ; region from muzzle to and imme- 

 diately surrounding eye very .scantily haired, in some specimens 

 almost bare ; upper eyelid with a fringe of erect black hairs 

 about 5 mm. long ; whiskers short and inconspicuous, scarcely 

 extending beyond eye when laid backward. Feet rather lai'ge 



