2 7© LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



general characters with those of Herpestes ichneumon^ the last 

 lower molar having only two external cusps, and the soles of 

 the hind-feet being hairy. Like all the foregoing genera of the 

 Sub-family, the nose is medianly grooved. Mr. Thomas re- 

 marks that " this genus is a very distinct and well-marked one, 

 not only on account of its different number of digits, but also 

 from the fact that its skull is very differently shaped to that 

 of Herpestes, more resembling Suricata than any of the genera 

 of this section." The auditory bulla has a large hole near the 

 middle. 



I. THE PENCILLED MUXGOOSE. CYNICTIS PENICILLATA. 



Herpestes penicillatus, Cuvier, Regne Anim. ed. 2, vol. i. p. 158 



(1829). 

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



(1829). 

 Cynictis steedmanni, Ogilby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 49. 

 Cynictis typicus, Smith, S. African Quart. Journ. vol. ii. p. 116 



(1835); 



Cynictis ogilbyi, Smith, op. cit. p. 117. 



Ichneumia albescens, I. Geoffroy, Mag. Zool. 1839. pi. xii. 

 Cynictis leptura, Smith, Illustr. Zool. S. Africa, pi. xvii. (1849). 

 Cynictis penicillata, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 83. 



Characters. — Size medium ; form slender, and head relatively 

 small ; tail bushy, about equal in length to the body. General 

 colour ranging from dark yellow to light yellowish-grey, the 

 longer hairs light yellow for the basal half, then with a black 

 ring, and the tip white ; the individual variation in the general 

 colour being due to differences in the length of these white 

 tips. Under-fur rich yellow; chin white; under-parts and 

 limbs somewhat paler than back ; hairs of bushy tail frequently 

 exceeding a couple of inches in length, their colour generally 

 similar to those of the back, but the terminal hairs white 

 throughout. Length of head and body, 15 to 15^2 inches; 

 of tail, 9 to 9^ inches. 



