110 Mr. R. C. Wrouirhton on 



XXT. — On the African Mungooses usually referred to the 

 Herpestes gracilis Group. By R. 0. Wrouguton. 



The following notes refer to the section of the Herpestinae 

 containing the forms of the small mungoose with a dark 

 tail-tip (usually black, rarely brown). The members of tiie 

 section are found all over Africa, varying somewhat in size 

 and colour, as was to be expected. 



The following is a list of the names already given to 

 members of this section, so far as I have been able to 

 ascertain : — 



1. 1835. Herpestes sanguineus, RUppell, N. Wirb. Abyss, p. 27. 



2. 1835. Herpestes gracilis, Eiippell, N. 'V^'irb. Abyss.' p. 29. 



3. 1835. Herpestes mutyigella, Riippell, N. Wirb. Abyss, p. 29. 



4. 1836. Ichneumon ratlamuchi, Suiith, App. Rep. Exp. C. Afr. p. 42. 



5. 1836. Ichneumon Cauui, Smith, App. Rep. Exp. 0. Afr. p. 42. 



6. 1836. Ci/nictis melanurus, Martin, P. Z. S. p. 36. 



7. 1838, Herpestes badius, Smith, 111. Afr. Zool. ii. pi. iv. 



8. 1839. Ichneumia nigricauclaUts, GeofFroy, Mag. Znol. p. 18. 



9. 1847. Herpestes Galinieri, Gu(5rin & Ferret, Galinier, Voy. Aljyss. 



Atlas, Zool. pi. i. 



10. 1848. Herpestes ochraceus, Gray, P. Z. S. p. 138. 



11. 1849. Herpestes punduJatus, Gray, P. Z. S. p. 11, 



12. 1850. Ilerpiestes Lefebvrei, Desmurs & Preyost, Lefebyro, Voy. 



Abyss. Atlas, Zool. pi. i. 



13. 1852. Herpestes ornatus, Peters, Reis. Moss. p. 117. 



14. 1855. Herjjestes ochromelas, Pucheran, Rey. Zool. vii. p. 393. 



15. 1861, Herpestes iodoprymnus, Heuglin, Nov. Act, Ac, Leop. xxix. 



p. 23. 



16. 1864. Herijestcs Grcinti, Gray, P. Z, S. p. 561, 



17. 18()4, CalogaJe venatica. Gray, P, Z. S. p. 564. 



18. 1877. Herpestes ruficauda, Heuglin, Reis. N.O.-Afr. p. 41. 



19. 1877. Herpestes mutscheltschela, Heuglin, Reis. N.O.-Afr. p. 43. 



20. 1894. Herpestes Neumanni, Matschie, SB, Ges. uaturf. Fr. Berl. 



p. 121. 



21. 1904. Her})estes ochraceus perftdvidus, Thom;is, x\.nu. & Mag. Nat. 



Hist. p. 96. 



22. 1904. Herpestes ochraceus ftdvidior, Thomas, Anu, & Mag. IS at. 



Hist. p. 97. 



23. 1905. Herpestes Bocagei, Thomas & "NVroughton, Ami. & Mag. 



Nat. Hist, xvi. p, 170. 



Practically all these forms were described as distinct 

 species, some even as belonging to separate genera. In 

 1882, in his paper on the African Herpestinre (P. Z, S. p. 59), 

 Mr. Thomas brought all these forms together as varieties of 

 one species, i. e. gracilis, E-upp. In 1898 Mr. de Winton, 

 with increased material to guide him, pointed out that 

 Mr. Thomas's variety " d " must rank as a distinct species on 

 account of differences in skull-characters. At present the 



