the rufous mungoose. 253 



vii. the rufous mungoose. herpestes galera. 

 Mustela galera, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. Animal, p. 453 (1777). 

 Viverra ne/ns, Kerr, Linn. Anim. Kingd. p. 160 (1792). 

 Mustria afra, Kerr, op. cit. p. 175. 

 Ichneumon ga/era, et I. afra, Geoffroy, Descrip. de l'Egypte, 



vol. ii. p. 139 (1813). 

 Atilax vansire, F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. liv. (1826). 

 Herpestes paludinosus, Cuvier, Regne Animal, ed. 2, vol. i. p. 



158(1829). 

 Mangusta urinatrix, A. Smith, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 437 



(1829). 

 Herpestes pluto, Temminck, Esquisses Zool. p. 95 (1853). 

 Herpestes loempo, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 551 (nee 



Temminck). 

 Athylax vansire, et A. paludosus, Gray, op. cit. p. 557. 

 A thy lax robustus, Gray, op. cit. p. 558. 

 Herpestes paludosus, Blyth, Cat. p. 52 (1863). 

 Herpestes galera, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 72. 



Characters. — This and the next two species differ from all the 

 preceding in that the tip of the tail is net darker than the 

 rest ; the teeth being generally similar to H. ichneumon, except 

 that the length of the upper carnassial is less than twice that 

 of the last molar. 



Size very large ; form stout and heavy ; length of tail less 

 than that of the body alone. General colour either grizzled 

 reddish-brown and white, or dark blackish-brown without 

 annulations ; under-fur greyish-brown. Feet dark brown ; tail 

 coloured like the body, but rather darker, sometimes becom- 

 ing nearly black near the extremity, but never with a sharply 

 defined black tip. Generally an indistinct whitish mark on the 

 cheek. Tarsus and metatarsus usually quite naked, but occa- 

 sionally some hair on the hinder part of the former. Skull very 

 stout and heavy, with the teeth relatively small. Length of 



