IIEI?PESTHS. 110 



specimens there are long grey or rufous tip.s to the fur. The ears 

 have a white border, but the tufts are black. 



Dlmanslons. Head and body 2S to 33 inches, tail 2(3 to 27. An 

 adult female skull measures 4-95 inches in basal length, and 2-95 

 in breadth across the zygomatic arches. 



Distnhiiti.oii. From Assam, throughout Arakau, Tenasserim, Siam, 

 and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Java. The reports of 

 t'lis animal's occurrence in the Himalayas are of doubtful accuracy. 



Habits. Like the Paradoxuri, Arctictis is omnivorous, living on 

 small mammals, birds, fishes, earthworms, insects, and fruits ; it is 

 also nocturnal and arboreal, its power of climbing about trees being 

 much aided by its prehensile tail. It is rather slow in its move- 

 ments. Its ability to suspend itself by its tad has been questioned, 

 but Blyth has shown (J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 804) that the young at all 

 events can support itself by the extremity of the tail alone. Elyth 

 also remarks that it is the only known placental mammal with a 

 truly prehensile tail in the Old World. 



This species inhabits- vidld forests, and, owing to its nocturnal 

 and retiring habits, is seldom seen ; it is said, however, to have a 

 loud howl. It is naturally fierce, but when taken young is easily 

 tamed, and becomes very gentle and playful. Of its breeding 

 nothing appears to be known. 



The only remaining member of the Viuerrince found in South- 

 eastern Asia that requires notice here is Gijnogale bmnetti, a re- 

 markable aquatic type, somewhat resembling an otter in form. It 

 is of a red-brown colour, with the feet webbed, and rather less naked 

 beneath than in Paradoxurus, and a short tail. The teeth have 

 long and sharp cusps, adapted for capturing fish, on which it lives. 

 It is found in the Malay Peninsula (J. A. S. B. xv, p. 203), Sumatra, 

 and Borneo. 



Subfamily HERPESTIN^. 



Besides the characters already enumerated, most of the members 

 of this subfamily present the peculiarity of the anus opening into 

 a sac-like depression ; but this character is ill-marked or absent in 

 some of the common Indian species. There are several genera in- 

 cluded, but all except one are peculiar to Africa or Madagascar. 

 The only generic type within the Indian area is Hetyestes, the 

 various subdivisions, such as Urva, Tcenior/ale, &c., raised to generic 

 rank by Hodgson, Gray, and others, not being distinguished by 

 characters of more than specific importance. 



Genus HERPESTE3, ILiger, 1811. 



Syn. Mangusta, Olivier i-*; Ichneumon, l^acep. ti h; L. ; Mmu/oti, 0;j;ilby ; 

 Urva, Mesobema, Hodgson; Osiiietcctix, Caloyule,- G ilerella, Ca- 

 lictis, Tcsniogale, Oiiijchoff(de, Gray. 



Body long and slender, limbs short, muzzle pointed. Ears very 

 short and rounded. Tail, in most species, long and conical, being 



