HERPESTES. ane 
GENUS HERPES ES, 
Long vermiform body; short legs with five semi-palmated toes with 
short compressed claws ; eyes small, with linear erect pupils ; long skull 
with forty teeth; the orbit complete in many cases, or only slightly 
imperfect ; the hairs are long, rigid, and ringed like the quill of a 
porcupine, which gives the grizzled appearance peculiar to these ani- 
mals. ‘The female has only four mamme. ‘They are very active and 
sanguinary, chiefly hunting along the ground, but can climb with facility. 
There are several species found within the limits of British India, and 
many more in Africa, 
No. 236. HERPESTES PALLIDUS ve/ GRISEUS. 
The Common Grey Mungoose (Jerdon’s Nos. 127 and 128). 
Native NamMes.—Mungus, Newul, Newra,. Nyul, Hindi; Mungli, 
Canarese ; Yentawa, Telegu; Koral, Gondi; Moogatea, Singhalese. 
HapitaT.—India generally and Ceylon, but apparently not in 
Burmah, 
DescriptTion.—Light iron grey with a yellowish tint, some more 
rufous, the hairs being ringed with brown and grey or yellowish-white ; 
muzzle and feet brown ; irides light brown. 
S1ze.—Head and body, 16 to 20 inches; tail, 14 to 164 inches. 
Jerdon calls this the Madras mungoose, and separates it from the next 
species, but they are apparently the same. Dr. Anderson prefers the 
specific name fallidus to either griseus or Malaccensis, as griseus originally 
included an African species, and the latter name is geographically 
misleading. Hodgson’s name H. myza is objectionable, as zy or newul 
is applied by natives to all mungooses generally. Jerdon’s Nos. 127 
and 128 differ only in colour and size; according to him the lighter and 
larger, gviseus, being the Southern India mungoose, and the browner and 
smaller, Jalaccensis, the Bengal and the Northern India one. But at 
Sasseram in Behar, I some years ago obtained a very large specimen of 
the lighter species, and have lately seen a skin from the North-west 
Provinces. This animal is familiar to most English residents in the 
Mofussil ; it is, if unmolested, fearless of man, and will, even in its wild 
state, enter the verandahs and rooms of houses. In one house I know a 
pair of old ones would not only boldly lift the bamboo chicks and walk 
in, but intime were accompanied by a young family. When domesticated 
they are capable of showing as much attachment asadog. Qne that I 
had constantly with me for three years died of grief during a tempo- 
rary separation, having refused food from the time I left. I got it whilst 
on active service during the Indian Mutiny, when it was a wee thing, 
