THE RUFOUS MUNGOOSE. Pt ae 
VII. THE RUFOUS MUNGOCSE. HERPESTES GALERA. 
Mustela galera, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. Animal, p. 453 (1777). 
Viverra nems, Kerr, Linn. Anim. Kingd. p. 160 (1792). 
Mustela afra, err, op. cit. p. 175. 
Ichneumon galera, et I. afra, Geoffroy, Descrip. de l’Egypte, 
vol. il. p. 139 (1813). 
Atilax vansire, I. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm. pt. liv. (1826). 
flerpestes paludinosus, Cuvier, Regine Animal, ed. 2, vol. i. p. 
158 (1829). 
Mangusta urinatrix, A. Smith, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 437 
(1829). 
Flerpestes pluto, ‘Temminck, Esquisses Zool. p. 95 (1853). 
Llerpestes loempo, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 551 (nec 
Temminck). 
Athylax vansire, et A. paludosus, Gray, op. cit. p. 557. 
Athylax robustus, Gray, op. cit. p. 558. 
flerpestes paludosus, Blyth, Cat. p. 52 (1893). 
Herpestes galera, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 72. 
Characters.— This and the next two species differ from all the 
preceding in that the tip of the tail is nct darker than the 
rest ; the teeth being generally similar to A. zchneumon, except 
that the length of the upper carnassial is less than twice that 
of the last molar. 
Size very large ; form stout and heavy; length of tail less 
than that of the body alone. General colour either grizzled 
reddish-brown and white, or dark blackish-brown without 
annulations ; under-fur greyish-brown. Feet dark brown ; tail 
coloured like the body, but rather darker, sometimes becom- 
ing nearly black near the extremity, but never with a sharply 
defined black tip. Generally an indistinct whitish mark on the 
cheek. ‘Tarsus and metatarsus usually quite naked, but occa- 
sionally some hair on the hinder part of the former. Skull very 
stout and heavy, with the teeth relatively small. Length of 
