NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



men obtained by Brehm is simply a Small Grey 

 Mungoose somewhat lighter in colour and smaller 

 in size than usual. Unless other specimens are 

 forthcoming soon, I consider the Pale Mungoose 

 should be erased from the list of South African 

 mammals. 



White-tailed Mungoose 



[Mungos alhicauda) 



This large mungoose occurs in South Africa in the 

 eastern part of the Cape Province, and throughout 

 Natal where it is common, and thence northwards 

 to Rhodesia, and on upwards along the eastern side 

 of Africa to Abyssinia, and across to Guinea on the 

 west coast. 



The White-tailed Mungoose is an inhabitant of 

 the bush-veld, rocky scrub-covered valleys and hill- 

 sides, and the outskirts of forests. I have never 

 yet found it far from cover such as that afforded by 

 the patches of thick scrub found on the bush-veld. 

 In Natal it used to be common in the neighbour- 

 hood of Pietermaritzburg, in the adjacent Town 

 Bush, from whence it ventured at night and preyed 

 upon the poultry of the residents in the neighbour- 

 ing valley. In secluded localities where there is 

 little or no danger of it being surprised by man or 

 his dogs, this mungoose issues forth during the 

 afternoons in search of food, but is strictly noc- 



40 



