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Species of the Genus Viverricula. 121 



Type B. M. 85. 8. 1. 27. Sambhar, Rajputana. Collected 

 by Mr. R. M. Adam, 17th December, 1877, and presented 

 by Mr. A. O. Hume. 



A second specimen, obtained at Nusserabad, in the same 

 province, in August 1878, has been recently presented to the 

 Museum by Col. J. W. Yerbury, and agrees in all respects 

 with the type. 



This subspecies, which differs in habits from the true 

 malaccensis by frequenting desert country instead of forests, 

 may be easily distinguished by its very light colour and the 

 absence of any distinct stripes on the back. 



Viverricula rasse (Horsf.). 



Viverra rasse, Horsf. Res. Java, pi. xviii. (1824) ; id. P. Z. S. 1832, 



p. 23; Peters, Raise nach Mossambique, Mamm. p. 113 (1852). 

 Viverricula Schlegeli, Pollen, Ned. Tijds. Dierk. iii. p. 78 (1866). 



This species does not differ externally from V. malaccensis , 

 except in its smaller size, and, although as a whole it varies 

 as much as the preceding one, yet individuals from the same 

 locality appear to be fairly constant in colour and markings. 



Horsfield's statement that V. rasse has eight hroad longi- 

 tudinal lines on the back, the three lateral lines on each side 

 interrupted and obscure, while V. malaccensis has eight 

 narrow longitudinal lines, the lateral lines continued, does 

 not appear to hold good for all individuals. 



The skull, however, shows marked differences from that of 

 V. malaccensis, the auditory buUge being much shorter, 

 flatter, and not converging so much towards the middle line, 

 thus causing the basioccipital to be considerably broader at its 

 anterior end and not folded into ridges when it leaves the 

 bulla. 



Dimensions of the skull of one of Horsfield's typical 

 specimens (B. M. 74) : — 



Basal length 86 millim. ; zygomatic breadth 42; length of 

 palate from henselion 43 ; length of bulla 20 ; basioccipital, 

 breadth at condyloid foramen 11*5, breadth anteriorly 8; 

 greatest diameter of upper carnassial 9 ; least breadth of 

 palate between inner roots of carnassials 12. 



Specimens from the various islands appear to differ slightly 

 from each other, but the material at hand does not seem to 

 me sufficient to justify at present the subdivision of the 

 species. 



Viverricula pallida (Gr.). 



Viverra pallida, Gray & Ilardw. 111. Ind. Zool. ii. pi. vi. (I83a-34); 



Swinboe, P. Z. S. 1862, p. 353; Gray, P. Z. S. 1864,j). 514. 

 Viverricula malaccends, Swiuboe, P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 227, 630. 



