502 DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE VIVERRIDA. [Nov. 8, 
Cetaceans, the Right Whale (Balena mysticetus) and the Narwhal 
(Monodon monoceras) are well known to inhabit the Spitzbergen 
seas. Mr. Malmgren, in his careful paper before alluded to, enu- 
merates six or perhaps seven species of Whales, not reckoning a 
Porpoise. We therefore have seven or eight Cetaceans, seven Car- 
nivores (including Ursus maritimus, on which I have no remark to 
make), and one Ruminant as the sum total of the Mammalian fauna 
of Spitsbergen. Without extending these notes by going into details, 
I may here state that I think the bird-fauna cannot be reckoned at 
more than twenty-seven species. We therefore have the singular 
result of a country, say as large as Ireland, where the number of 
Mammalian bears to the number of Ornithie species the ratio of 15 or 
16 to 27. 
13. A Revision oF THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF VIVERRINE 
ANIMALS (VIVERRIDZ), FOUNDED ON THE COLLECTION IN 
THE British Museum. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. 
Having received from Dr. Meller a Viverrine animal from Eastern 
Africa which appeared to be new, I was induced to compare it with 
the specimens in the Museum. Here I found two specimens re- 
ceived in 1855 from M. Verreaux of Paris, under the name of Her- 
pestes mutgigella of Riippell from Eastern Africa, quite different 
from, and three or four times as large as the adult animals of that 
species which were received from Dr. Riippell as type specimens— 
besides another different species from the same part of the world, 
which we purchased of M. Parzudaki, also under the name of Her- 
pestes mutgigella. 
Being desirous of determining these species and some other un- 
named specimens with accuracy, I was induced to reexamine all the 
specimens of the skins and osteological preparations that are in the 
British Museum, very many of which are the original specimens on 
which many species have been described ; and as the materials grew 
under my hand into an essay on the species of the tribe, I have sent 
it to the Society in the hope that it may assist to elucidate the nume- 
rous species of this group of carnivorous Mammalia. 
The Viverride include a considerable number of the middle-sized 
and small Carnivora. They are all natives of the Old World—that 
is to say, Africa and Asia (one of the species spreading itself over 
some of the southern parts of Europe)—-except the genus Bassaris, 
which inhabits Mexico. 
The greater number of the species are found in Africa, and several 
are confined to Madagascar ; others are inhabitants of various parts 
This fact I unfortunately had not noticed until my return home ; so that (Porpoises 
being in general of so common occurrence on a sea voyage) I neglected to record, 
as I otherwise should certainly have done, the dates and localities of their appear- 
ance. It is ofcourse possible that what I took to be Porpoises were only the 
young of some larger Cetacean; but I do not think this was the case. 
