1882.] AFRICAN MTJNGOOSES. 



Skulls. 



a. S. Africa . . . 



b. „ ..., 

 c. 



(f. W. Africa. . . 

 Var. robustus. 

 e. White Nile 



(type) • 



/. No loc. (Berl. 1 . .^ ., -^ ^.e- i.-i 



'' -iT \ M 02 2 00 2'oa l*o4 



Mus.) J 



l-.if. — 



This large species was first mentioned as long ago as 16()1 by 

 Flacourt, in liis work on Madagascar '. It is there called " Vond- 

 sira," which name forms the basis of Buffou's term "Le Vansire." 

 Its reputed occurrence in ^ladagascar caused Dr. Gray and others 

 to believe that there were two species, the one in Africa being natu- 

 rally supposed to be distinct ; but uow, as no other specimens have 

 since occurred in Madagascar, we are justified in concluding that 

 Flacourt only saw an introduced specimen, and that it is not indi- 

 genous to that island. 



I have preserved Dr. Gray's H. robustus as a distinct variety, 

 because the skulls sliow that there is a considerable difference in 

 size between this eastern form and that found in the west and south. 

 It unfortunately happens that the specimen of H. robitstus in the 

 Berlin Museum, the dimensions of the skull of which are given above, 

 has no locality recorded for it, so that I do not know any thing 

 about the extent of the range of this variety ; the British-Museum 

 specimen was obtained from the White Nile. 



On this species the genus " Athylcix" has been formed ; but there 

 does not seem to be sufficient reason for its separation from the 

 typical Herpesfes. 



It is just worthy of note that large specimens of C'rossarchu.t 

 ohscurus are often so extremely similar in colour and proportions to 

 small ones of this species, that an examination of the muzzle or skull 

 is needed to show to which group they belong. 



The variation in the hairiness or otherwise of the hind soles of 

 this species has already been referred to -. As, judging from Smuts's 

 account of its habits, Cuvier's name H. jialudinosus, the " Marsh " 

 Ichneumon, is correct for tlie ordinary naked-soled individuals, it 

 seems probable that those with the hinder portion of the soles hairy 

 live on a dry soil, where, one would imagine, they would not have 

 to walk in so wholly a plantigrade manner as if they lived where the 

 ground was soft and muddy and where a digitigrade animal would 

 be liable to sink in at every step. 



Smuts says o^ H. galera =:--" This animal lives in marshy places, 



^ ' Histoire de la grande isle Madagascar,' p. 154 (1661), 

 ■' Above p. 67. ■' T, cit. p. 22. 



