2 63 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



cultivated and wild districts ; and that they live in small parties, 

 which frequently combine to attack Snakes. Holes in trees, 

 and burrows dug by their own strong claws in the ground, 

 serve for their habitation ; while they not unfrequently take 

 possession of the deserted mounds of White Ants or Termites. 

 In Mozambique, according to Peters, the Small Mungoose is 

 extremely partial to hens' eggs, which it breaks in a peculiar 

 fashion, throwing them with its fore-paws between its hind-legs 

 against a wall or stone. 



XV. THE FOUR-TOED MUNGOOSES. GENUS BDEOGALE. 



Bdeoga/e, Peters, Reise Mossambique, p. 119 (1852). 



In this East and West African genus the teeth agree in 



number and general characters with those of Herpestes albi- 



cauda, but there are only four toes to each foot. The sole of 



the hind-foot is hairy. 



I. THE THICK-TAILED MUNGOOSE. BDEOGALE CRASSICAUDA. 



Bdeogale crassicauda, Peters, Reise Mossambique, p. 120 

 (1852); Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 81. 



Characters. — Distinguished from the next species by the re- 

 latively longer tail, in which the long hairs are white in their 

 basal, and black in their terminal half, instead of being uni- 

 formly blackish-brown. The last lower molar seems also pro- 

 portionately longer. 



Distribution. — Mozambique. 



II. THE PUISA MUNGOOSE. BDEOGALE PUISA. 



Bdeogale puisa, Peter.-:, Reise Mossambique, p. 124 (1852); 

 Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 81. 

 Characters. — Size rather large; form slender; tail less than 

 half the length of the head and body; under surface of tarsus 

 and metatarsus thickly haired to the base of the toes. General 

 colour dark brownish, with or without rings on the hairs ; long 

 and soft under-fur tawny-yellow ; limbs nearly black ; head grey 



