244 Lloyd's natural history. 



aquatic, and feeds largely on fish and crustaceans. It is, how- 

 ever, stated also to capture and eat various land animals, and 

 likewise to be capable of ascending trees with facility, so that it 

 may be likened to a climbing Otter. With regard to the habits 

 of the captive specimen mentioned above, which was exhibited 

 in the Calcutta Zoological Gardens, Mr. Sanyal writes as follows : 

 " Except very early in the morning, I have never seen this 

 animal leave its cage during the day j and though it never ap- 

 pears to be particularly savage, it always resents the approach of 

 its keeper, or anyone else, by a sort of low, subdued snarling. 

 The presence of a strong civet-like smell near its cage, es- 

 pecially at night, unmistakably indicates the possession of 

 odoriferous glands. Although said to be omnivorous, it shows 

 greater partiality for an animal than a vegetable diet, and 

 relishes fish more than flesh. I have never observed it in- 

 dulging in its aquatic habits." 



XIII. THE MUNGOOSES. GENUS HERPESTES. 



Iclineumori) Lacepede, Mem. Instit. Paris, vol. iii. p. 492 (1801 ; 



preoccupied), 

 Herpestes, Illiger, Prodrom. Meth. Mamm. p. 135 (181 1). 

 Matigusta, Olivier, in Fischer's Synops. Mamm. p. 162 (1829). 

 Mu?igos, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1835, P- io 3- 

 Urvci^ Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. vi. p. 561(1837). 

 Mesobema, Hodgson, op. cit. vol. x. p. 910 (1841). 

 Osmetictis, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. x. p. 260 (1842). 

 Calogale^ p. 560, Calidis, p. 564, T<z?iiogate, p. 569, Onychogale, 



p. 570, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864. 



With this extensive genus we come to the first representative 

 of the second Sub-family (Herpestince) of the Viverridce, which 

 may be characterised as follows : In the skull the auditory 

 bulla is pear-shaped, and its hinder margin distinctly everted, 

 while the par-occipital process does not project beyond it, but 



