246 Lloyd's natural history. 



that the latter are generally completely surrounded by bone, 

 whereas in the CiYets and Palm-Civets they are incomplete 

 posteriorly. 



The genus has a distribution equivalent to that of the Sub- 

 family, and is the second one in the Family which ranges into 

 the south of Europe, the other being Genetta. 



The most convenient arrangement will be found to trer.t 

 the various species mainly according to their geographical dis- 

 tribution, commencing with the typical Palaearctic form. Two 

 African forms, allied to the members of the next genus, will, 

 however, be considered after the Oriental species. 



I. THE EGYPTIAN MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES ICHNEUMON. 



Viverra ichneumon, Linn., Syst. Nat. ed. 12, vol. i. p. 63 (1766). 

 Ichneumon pharacn, Pace'pede, Mem. Instit. Paris, vol iii. p. 



492 (1801). 

 Ichneumon cegypti, Tiedemann, Zool. vol. i. p. 364 (1S0S). 

 Herpestes pharaonis, Geoffroy, Descrip. de PEgypte, vol. ii. 



p. 139 (18] 

 Herpestes numidicus, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. Ixviii. 



(1834). 

 Herpestes widdringtoni. Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist vol. ix. 



p. 50 (1842). 

 Herpestes dor salts, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 549. 

 Herpestes ichneumon, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 18S2, p. 64. 



{Plate XXXI.) 



Characters. — Size large, form slender; tail about three-quarters 

 the length of the head and b dy ; fur long, more especially on 

 the rump and root of the tail. General colour dark grizzled 

 greyish-brown, the hairs being ringed with dark reddish-brown 

 and creamy-yellow, but the tips of those on the back of a 

 darker yellow; the thick and woolly under-fur bright rufous. 

 Tip of tail shining 1>1 ick, with the hairs elongated into a kind 

 of tassel, which may reach as much as five inches beyond the 



