THE CRAB-EATING MUNGOOSE. 263 



by a yellow band, which is followed by a long blackish-brown 

 band, extending nearly to the base, which is yellow. Length 

 of head and body, 17 inches ; of tail, without hair, io}i inches, 

 with hair, n^ inches. 

 Distribution. — B orn eo. 

 XIX. THE CRAB-EATING MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES URVA. 



f Viverra fusca, Gray, Illustr. Indian Zool. vol. i. pi. v. (1830). 

 Gulo urva, Hodgson, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. v. p. 238 



(1836). 

 Urva ca?icrivora, Hodgson, op. at. vol. vi. p. 561 (1837). 

 Mesobema cancrivora, Hodgson, op. tit. vol. x. p. 910 (1 841). 

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

 Herpestes urva, Anderson, Anat. Zool. Research. Exped. Yun- 

 nan, p. 189(1878); Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 129 

 (1888). 

 Characters.— A white streak behind the ear ; no black tail-tip ; 

 hairs of back tipped with white; under-parts and limbs reddish- 

 brown. 



Size large; form very robust; tail about two-thirds the 

 length of the head and body; fur very long, coarse, and 

 ragged; under-fur woolly; naked surface of under part of hind- 

 foot extending about two-thirds the distance to the heel. 

 General colour dusky iron-grey, or blackish with a superficial 

 tinge of grey caused by the long whitish tips of the hairs ; a 

 distinct narrow white stripe along the side of the neck from 

 the angle of the mouth to the shoulder ; head dark brown, 

 speckled with white; limbs uniformly dark brown, the feet 

 frequently black. Under-fur dark brown at the base, then pale 

 brownish-yellow ; the longer hairs brown at the roots, then light 

 brown or yellowish-brown for a considerable distance, after this 

 black, and the tips whitish. Length of head and body, from 

 18 to 21 inches; of tail, without the hair, n to 12 inches. 



