72 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE [Jail. 3, 



derable series of perfect skeletons would be necessary before one 

 could place any reliance upon them as a specific character. 



5. Herpestes galera. 



a. Typical variety. 



Mustela yalera, Erxl. Syst. Reg. Anim. i. p. 453 (1/77). 



Viverra nems, Kerr, Linn. S. N. p. 160 (1792). 



Mustela ofra, Kerr, t. cit. p. 175 (1702). 



IcJineumon galera et major, Geoff. Descr. Egypte, Hist. Nat. ii. 

 p. 138 (1812). 



Atilax vansire, F. Cuv. Hist. Nat. Mamm. iii. livr. 54 (1826). 



Herpestes paludinosus, G. Cuv. Regne Anini. ed. 2, i. p. 158 (1829). 

 *3Ianffusta urinatru', A. Smith, Zool. Journ. iv. p. 437 (1829). 

 * Herpestes pluto, Teram. Esq. Zool. Guin. p. 95 (1853). 

 *nerpestes loempo, Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 551 (uec Temni.) (1864). 



Athylux vansire et jjaludosus, Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 557 (1864). 

 Had. West and South Africa. 



b. Variety robustiis. 

 *Athylax robustus. Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 558 (1864). 



Hab. East Africa (White Nile). 



Specific Characters. — Size very large, form stout and heavy. Tail 

 shorter than the body without the head. General colour either 

 grizzled reddish brown and white, or dark blackish brown without 

 annulations\ Underfur greyish brown. Feet dark brown. Tail 

 coloured like the body, but rather darker, sometimes gradually be- 

 coming nearly black towards the end, the black never sharply sepa- 

 rated as in H. ichneumon. Belly similar to back. Cheeks gene- 

 rally with a peculiar indistinct whitish mark from the angle of the 

 mouth to below the ear. Hind soles as a rule quite naked, some- 

 times with the posterior third hairy". 



Skull very stout and heavy, the lower jaw particularly so, with a 

 distinct and well-marked chin in adults. Teeth rather small in 

 proportion. Last molar more than half the last premolar (56-61 

 per cent.). 



Varietal Characters. 



Yar. galera. Smaller : skull less than 4*3 inches in length. 

 Var. robustus. Larger : skull more than 4'5 inches in length. 



Dimensions. 



Head 

 Typical variety. and bodv. Tail. Hind foot. 



a. Cape 24-5 13-0 .3-9 



b. „ 24-0 13-5 3-9 



c. W. Africa 24-0 3*8 



Var. robustus. 



<?. Type : E. Africa 26-5 12-5 4-0 



' See above, p. 61. -^ See above, p. 67. 



