On some External Characlers of Cynogale bennettii. 



XXXI. — On some of the External Characters of Cynojjalc 

 beuncttii, Gray. By R. I. Pocock, F.R.S., Superiutendcut 

 of the Zoological Society^s Gardens. 



[Plate XIV.] 



Some of the external features of this aberrant amphilnous 

 eivct have been often described. Nevertheless^ several inter- 

 esting points have been overlooked^ and many of the published 

 statements regarding the characters observed require ampli- 

 fication or correction, the shortcomings in question being to 

 a great extent attributable to the enforced dependence of 

 authors upon dried skins or upon material defective in other 

 ways. 



The matter contained in this paper is based mainly upon 

 an examination of three specimens, an adult female and two 

 young, collected by the late INIr. A. Everett in N.W. Borneo 

 and ])reserved in alcohol in the British Museum*. 



Colour. — Accounts of the colour of Crjnoyale bennettii are 

 discrepant. In his very brief original description, published 

 in 1836, Gray said nothing on this point, but in the following 

 year he described the colour as brown, with the elongate 

 rigid hairs, rising from the soft crisp fur, black, with a 

 " sul)terminal silver-wiiite band.^* This was confirmed by 

 Eydoux and Souleyet, who, in 1841, wrote: — " Les })oils 

 soyeux, qui sont surtout apparents au dos, depassent un pen 

 ceux de la bourre, et comme ils sont termines de blanc, ils 

 donnent au pelage une teinte generale glacee.^^ 



Similarly, Sehlcgcl and IviUller (Zoog. Ind. Archipel, 

 p. 120, 1839) described the species as '' donkerbruine 

 witaehtig gespikkelde kleur " — that is to say, colour dark 

 brown, speckled Avith whitish. 



Flower and Lydekker (1891) copied Gray in recording 

 the fur as dark brown mixed with black and grey. 



Finally, Sanyal wrote of a specimen living in the Gardens 

 at Calcutta (P. Z. S. 1894, p. 290) :— " Prevailing colour of 

 the fur grey, becoming grizzled white on the back, rump, 

 and outer surface of the limbs." 



On the other hand, INiivart, in 1882, said the colour of the 

 coat is I'cd-brown, with no markings, save a very narrow 

 black line along the crown of the elongated head; and, 



* This paper is published by permission of the Trustees. On this, as 

 on other occasions, T am indebted to Mr. OldfiLld Thouias for untram- 

 melled access to the specimens under his char^re. 



