THE SMALL MUNGOOSE. 267 



Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 178), as to the doubtful validity of the 

 genus. 



I. THE SMALL MUNGOOSE. HELOGALE PARVULA. 



Herpestes parvulus, Sundevall, Oef. K. Vet. Ak. Forhandl. 



Stockh. 1846, p. 121. 

 Helogale parvula, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 308; Thomas, 



Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 79 ; Jentink, Notes Leyd. Mus. 



vol. xi. p. 31 (1888); Bocage, J. Sci. Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. i. 



p. 180 (1889). 

 Herpestes undulatus i Peters, Reise Mossambique, Saug. p. 114 



(1852). 

 Helogale undulata, Thomas, op. cit. p. 80 ; Jentink, loc. at. 



Characters. — Size small, form slender ; tail rather shorter than 

 the body. Typically the general colour dark finely-grizzled 

 greyish-brown throughout, the hairs being ringed with black or 

 brown and yellowish-white, and the feet and tail rather darker 

 than the body. In the variety, H. undulata, the general colour 

 is grizzled rufous on the upper-parts ; neck, under-parts, and 

 legs rich rufous, with less black grizzling; size rather larger 

 than in typical form. Length of head and body, from 8% 

 to 10 inches; of tail, from 4}^ to 6^ inches. 



Distribution. — East Africa (Natal to Mozambique) ; West 

 Africa (Angola). 



The typical form is from Natal, and the rufous variety from 

 Mozambique. These were regarded by Mr. Thomas as speci- 

 fically distinct, but Dr. Jentink subsequently came to the con- 

 clusion that they were probably only varieties. The latter view 

 is also taken by Prof. Bocage, who first recorded the species 

 from West Africa, where both the grey and the red phase is 

 met with, although the two appear to be locally separated. 



Habits. — Anchieta, as quoted by Bocage, states that the " Bi- 

 muires," as these animals are called in Angola, inhabit alike 



