NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



so far have failed to obtain even a single specimen 

 from any of the districts in this neighbourhood. 



The Slender Mungoose is nowhere common in 

 South Africa. I have occasionally met with it in 

 the thorny scrub in rocky situations near Pieter- 

 maritzburg and Howick, in Natal, and in the eastern 

 part of the Transvaal. 



As its name implies, this mungoose is slender 

 in shape, and it is also small in size. The prevailing 

 colour is greyish-brown with a yellow tinge. Each 

 hair is annulated, or narrowly ringed black and red- 

 dish brown, or dull white. The tail is of the same 

 colour as the back, and is provided with a tuft of 

 black hairs which project from one to two inches 

 beyond the tip. The black tuft of hairs on the end 

 of the tail of the Great Grey Mungoose is consider- 

 ably larger than on this species, and each hair is 

 three to four inches long. Moreover, the Slender 

 Mungoose is of small size, and the other is large 

 and robust in comparison, therefore it is impossible 

 to confuse the two. 



A local race occurs in the Transvaal, and is known 

 as Mungos caaui Swinnyi. 



THE RUDDY MUNGOOSE 



(Mungos ratlamucht) 

 Syn. : HerpesUs gracilis badius 



The Ruddy Mungoose inhabits the drier parts 

 of South Africa. Specimens have been obtained 

 24 



