On the Classification of the Mongooses. 515 
ACANTHOCEPHALA. 
Polymorphus minutus (Goeze), Liihe, 1911 
[= Echinorhynchus polymorphus, Bremser]. 
Hosts: Somateria mollissima, Petschenga, 24. ix. 1917. 
Uria grylle, Petschenga, 22. x. 1917. 
The latter bird appears to be a new host for this species, 
which occurs chiefly in various species of ducks and in some 
other aquatic birds. | 
LU.— The Classification of the Mongooses (Mungotide). 
By KR. I. Pocock, F.R.S. 
In 1916 (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1916, pt. i. pp. 849-374) I 
published a comparative study of the principal external 
characters of the mongooses, granting this group the rank of 
a family Mungotide of the Adluroid, Herpestoid, or Mungotoid 
section of the Carnivora*. 
In this paper I restored to use certain generic names, such 
as Atilax +, Ichneumia, and Ariela, which do not appear in 
their generic significance in modern treatises on the group, 
the two first being regarded as synonyms of Mungos (Her- 
pestes) and the last as a synonym of Crossarchus. Since 
the justification for their resuscitation was not definitely 
stated in systematic form, and since the reason for thinking 
the mongooses should rank as a family of the Mungotide 
rather than as a subfamily of the Viverridx, according to the 
generally adopted practice, was not declared at all, I propose 
in this paper to make good those defects. 
* The term Herpestoidea was proposed by Winge to replace luroidea 
on the grounds that the generic name 4/urus unfortunately stands for 
one of the Procyonide belonging to the Cynoid or Arctoid section of the 
order. But since Herpestes, being preoccupied, no longer stands for the 
typical mongooses, Mungos is used instead. Similarly, Mungotine has 
taken the place of Herpestine. Logically, therefore, Mungotoidea 
should be preferred to Herpestoidea if, in accordance with Weber, we 
follow Winge in discarding the title Alluroidea. 
+ Atilar—or Athylaz, as it should have been spelt— means pouchless, 
and was given by Cuvier to the marsh-mongoose, on the supposition that - 
this animal has no anal sack. As I have shown, however (op. cit. p. 366), 
the sack is well developed in this genus. 
