120 On African Mungooses. 



niatic breadth 33; palate breadth across i)^ 20*5; length 

 c-rn^ 21-5. 



Hah. Type locality (of M. ratlamuchi) ^' between Latukoo 

 and the Tropic" ; (of M. badius) " between Old Latakoo and 

 Karichane, 120 miles eastward." (Type,B.M. no. 46.6.1.14.) 



16. Mungos Cauui, Sm. 



1836. Ichnenmo7i Cauui, Smith, A pp. Hep. Exp. C. Afr. p. 42. 

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

 1852. Herpestes ornatus, Peters, Reise Moss. p. 117. 

 1864. Calof/ale venatica, Gray, P. Z. S. p. 563. 



I have been able to examine about 40 specimens from 

 localities spread over 10° of longitude and 15° of latitude, 

 and I have to confess that I cannot differentiate any of them 

 as even racially distinct from the rest. It is true that a 

 series from Matabeleland is on the average paler than the 

 rest, as a series from Mashonaland and the Zambesi basin is 

 somewhat redder, but single individuals could be picked from 

 other localities which are quite as pale or as red. It is to be 

 regretted that Smith's name Cauui is the oldest, it was given 

 to a young specimen from the neighbourhood of the Kalahari 

 Desert, a quite extreme example of the pale desert type. 

 Peters's M. ornatus is also based on a quite young specimen * 

 of a darker redder type, while M. purictulatus, Gray, un- 

 doubtedly represents the normal form. 



The general colour is liard to describe, it is some shade of 

 drab tinged with greenish, having in all cases a greater or less 

 suffusion of reddish on the loins and rump. 



Dimensions : — 



Head and body 300 mm. ; tail 275 ; hind foot 58 ; ear 25. 



Skull : condylo-basal length 65 ; basilar length 60; zygo- 

 matic breadth 33-35 ; palate breadth across p^ 20-23 ; length 

 c-m' 22. 



Hah. Type locality Ourrichaine (N.W. Transvaal). 



45. 4. 4. 2. Durban, Natal. (Type of 7^^. punctulatus, Gray.) 



5. 3. 8. 13. Illovo, Natal {Hudd Collectio7i). 



4. 12. 3. 36-38. Umvalosi, Zululand (Budd Collection) . 



4. 5. 1. 33-36. Etshowe, Zululand (Rudd Collection). 



4. 9. 1. 32-34. Zuurbronn, E. Transvaal {Rudd Collection) . 



* Peters's figure of the skull of M. ornatus shows all the sutures 

 which are only visible in youth. A specimen in the collection from the 

 Zambesi not far from Tette, the type locality of M. ornatus, answers both 

 in dimensions and colouring to Peters's description ; it is quite young : an 

 older specimen from the same locality is identical with other S. African 

 individuals in dimensions and colour-pattern. 



