the Mascarene Vi'vern'd GaliJictis. 117 



tively narrow and closely approximated over the nape and 

 between the shoulders, although the external oi: tlie two on 

 each side expands on the sides of the neck ; but behind the 

 shoulders they gradually broaden, then become narrow again 

 towards the root of the tail. Between the two internal 

 (ad median) of these stripes on the nape there are traces of a 

 median stripe. A third broad stripe on each side runs along 

 the lower area of the flank from the thigh to the shoulder, 

 where it is interrupted for a short space, and then continued 

 forwards across the shoukler on to the sides of the neck 

 up to the infero-posterior base of the ear. The hairs of 

 these black stripes are sooty-brown at the base and shining 

 black distally. 



The stripes are separated throughout their extent by pale 

 bands, dirty wliite, with very small dark tips on the body, 

 but on the neck the dark tips are larger, so tliat the daik and 

 light stripes are not so shaiply differentiated. Tiie underfur 

 of tiiese white stripes, as of the black ones, is olive-brown. 



Thus the body is ornamented witli six black stripes, sepa- 

 rated by five pale stripes, and the pale stripes on the back 

 are not darker than those traversing the sides. 



The admedian black stripes pass on to the base of the tail, 

 where they turn brown and coalesce to form large spots on 

 the proximal four inches of the upper side of that organ, 

 which tor the rest of its length and along its whole underside 

 is dirty white. 



The outer side of the thighs is dusky blackish brown, and 

 is marked above with a black stripe which extends to the 

 stifle-joint (knee) beneath the posterior end of the infero- 

 lateral body-stripe, from which it is separated by a whitish 

 snipe continuous in front with the white of the btdl}'-. The 

 hind feet are bufFy white. The fore legs are the same tint 

 apjjroximatel}'-, but externally are clouded to a certain extent 

 with dusky brown where the dark underfur shows between 

 the longer hairs. 



The whole of the underside from the chin to the anus and 



the insides of the limbs are dirty white, tinted with cream or 



buff upon the throat and the inside of the fore and hind limbs. 



Mtaiureiiumts of dried stuped skin. — Head and body 



950 mm. ; tail (without terminal tuft) 750; hind foot 230. 



Log. Ambinanindrano, E.Madagascar {Archdeacon Kestell 

 Corm$h). 



Type, now in Brit. Mus., presented to Zoological Society 

 28. 5. 07, died 18. 9. 07, described anatomically by Beddard 

 (P. Z. S. 1907, p. 805) as Galidictis stria'a. 



Ann. cD Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 8. Vol. xvi. 9 



