258 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 
hinder part of back considably elongated ; tail without biack 
tip ; hairs with the light and dark rings of equal length. Taila 
little shorter than the head and body ; tarsus completely naked, 
but the bare portion of the whole sole of the hind-foot rather 
narrow. General colour greyish-brown, speckled with white or 
pale grey; not unfrequently a ferruginous tinge on the head, 
which in one variety extends over the entire body ; under-parts 
paler. Under-fur light brown, the longer hairs distinct in 
colour from this, and on the back marked by four or five dark 
and as many light rings, which are generally of equal length ; 
tips frequently rufous-brown. Claws dark brown. Length of 
head and body, from 15 to 18 inches; of tail, 14 to 15 inches. 
Distribution.—India generally, from Kashmir and the Himalaya 
southward, and Ceylon. Imported into the Malay Peninsula. 
This is the common Mungoose of India, and the one 
carried about by the itinerant Snake-charmers. The Bengal 
variety (47. madaccensts) is darker than usual; while a variety 
found in Sind (Z. ferrugineus, or H. anderson) is characterised 
by its rich ferruginous tint. 
XII. THE RUDDY MUNGOOSE. HERPESTES SMITHI. 
HHerpestes smithi, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 578 (1837); 
Blanford, Mamm. Brit. India, p. 126 (1888). 
Herpestes thysanurus, Wagner, Minch. Gel. Anz. vol. ix. p. 
439 (1839). 
Crossarchus rubiginosus, Wagner, in Schreber’s Saugethiere, 
Suppl. vol. ii. p. 329 (1841). 
Herpestes elliott, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, vol. xx. p. 
162 (1851). 
HHerpestes rubiginosus, Kelaart, Prodr. Faun. Zeyl. p. 213 (1852). 
Calictis smitht, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 565. 
Llerpestes jerdoni, Gray, op. cit. p. 550. 
Llerpestes monticolus, Jerdon, Mamm. India, p. 135 (1867). 
