34 MR. W. OGILBY’S DESCRIPTION OF CYNICTIS, &c. 
glimpse of in this Colony. The one we saw, and gave chase to between the two Fish 
Rivers, made its escape from us, however, by running into a hole under ground, and 
seemed to be somewhat less than a cat, though longer in proportion. The colour of it 
was a bright red.” It is true that this passage records no observation by which we can, 
with certainty, refer the animal to which it alludes to the Cynictis Steedmannii, but the 
size, colour and habitat are so perfectly similar in both cases, as to render their identity 
extremely probable. In the following extract, however, from Barrow’s Travels, vol. i. 
p. 185, the characters are fully reported. ‘‘ Upon those parched plains” (those of Cam- 
debo on the eastern confines of the Colony,) ‘‘ are also found several species of a small 
quadruped which burrows in the ground, and which is known to the colonists under the 
general name of Meer-kat. They are mostly of the genus of animals to which zoologists 
have given the name of Viverra. An eagle, making a stoop at one of these, close to where 
we were passing, missed his prey ; and both fell a sacrifice, one to the gun, the other to 
the dogs. Both the bird and quadruped appeared to be undescribed species...... The 
Viverra was wholly of a bright chestnut colour ; the tail shaded with black hairs, bushy, 
‘straight, and white at the extremity; ears short and round; on the fore feet five, and 
on the hind four toes ; the body and tail each one foot long.” 
There can be no doubt of the animal to which this description refers,—a description 
more minute and accurate than we generally find in the works of travellers. It agrees 
in every point with the species which forms the subject of the present memoir, except, 
perhaps, in the reported dimensions of the tail and body: but this difference most pro- 
bably arises from the age or sex of the specimens, or from the measures of Mr. Barrow 
being taken in a straight line, whilst mine followed the different curvatures of the head, 
neck, and body. The name Meer-kat, by which it appears that this animal is known 
to the colonists, signifies a monkey, and is of very general acceptation in South Africa, 
being applied indifferently to the present species, the Cape Herpestes, Ground Squirrels, 
and various other small burrowing animals. 
Both the passages here quoted confirm the burrowing habits of the Cynictis Steed- 
mannii, which I had already inferred from the form of the claws. 
PLATE III. 
Cynictis STEEDMANNII. 
Fig. 1. Cranium seen laterally. 
2. Cranium seen from above. 
3. One half of the upper jaw seen from below. 
4. One half of the lower jaw seen from above. 
