CATALOGUE. Ill 



head, a streak along the back, and the extremity of the tail. These 

 parts are white, with a slight tint of yellow. The mark on the head 

 has a rhomboidal form, obtuse and rounded anteriorly, but gradually 

 attenuated as it passes to the shoulders, where it unites with the streak 

 on the back : in some individuals this streak is interrupted. On the 

 abdomen the brown is of a lighter hue, inclining to grayish or rufous. 

 The covering is subject to several variations : some of the individuals 

 deposited in the Company's Museum are grayish-brown, others are 

 deep brown with a sooty tint ; the last colour, as far as my observation 

 extends, is the most common, and has formed the base of the specific 

 character placed at the head of this article. The tail is scarcely half 

 an inch long, but the hairs covering and surrounding it project above 

 an inch from the body. The limbs are short and stout, and the feet 

 agree in structure with those of the allied genera, being formed for the 

 plantigrade manner of walking. The claws are united at the base by a 

 thick membrane, which envelopes this part as a sheath. Those of the 

 fore feet are nearly double the size of those of the hind feet. In place 

 of the pouches and reservoirs of fetid fluids with which several genera 

 of this family are provided, the Mydaus has two glands of an oblong 

 form, about one inch long and half an inch wide, near the extremity of 

 the rectum : they are placed opposite to each other, and are individually 

 furnished with an excretory duct nearly half an inch long, which com- 

 municates with this intestine. In the middle of each duct is a very 

 minute aperture, surrounded by a muscular ring, somewhat swelled, 

 which enables the animal at pleasure to discharge or to retain the fetid 

 fluid secreted by the glands. The ducts enter the rectum about half an 

 inch within the external aperture. The internal surface of these glands 

 is covered with numerous wrinkles disposed transversely. The fluid 

 secreted by them is perfectly analogous, in its odour, to that secreted 

 by several species of Mephitis in America, particularly to that of the 

 Mephitis striata of Fischer. Having experienced that of the latter, 

 which is known in most parts of North America by the name of Skunk, 

 I readily recognised it in Java." 



Here follow some remarks on the generic peculiarities of the Mydaus, 

 on its affinity to other genera of this family, and on its situation in a 

 natural arrangement of Mammalia ; when the account proceeds : " The 

 Mydaus meliceps presents a singular fact in its geographical distribution. 

 It is confined exclusively to those mountains which have an elevation of 

 more than 7,000 feet above the level of the ocean ; on these it occurs 

 with the same regularity as many plants. The long-extended surface 

 of Java, abounding with conical points which exceed this elevation, 



