90 MR. o. THOMAS ON THE [Jan. 3, 



species possesses a third pair of upper molars behind the two normal 

 ones. The presence of this extra pair of teeth however, is, shown to 

 be of no specific or generic importance by the fact that in a second, 

 quite identical, specimen collected at the same time and place (Bogos- 

 land, Abyssinia), there are only the two usual pairs of upper 

 molars. 



4. Crossarchus fasciatus. 



Viverra ichneumon /3, Schr. Saug. iii. p. 430, pi. cxvi. (1778). 



V. mungo\ Gmel. Linn. S. N. i. p. 84 (1789). 



Herpestes mungo, Desm. Mamm. i. p. 211 (1820). 



H. fasciatus, Desm. Diet. Sci. Nat. xxix. p. .58 (1823). 

 *Ichneumon tcenionotus, Smith, S. Afr. Quart. Jouru. ii. p. 114 

 (1835). 



Ariela tanionota. Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 565 (1864). 



Hab. S.E. Africa (Caffraria to Mozambique'^). 



Size medium ; form stout. Tail rather more than half as long as 

 the head and body. General colour grizzled grey, the posterior half 

 of the back with cross bands. Longer hairs ringed with black 

 and yellow or dark rufous, the posterior half of each light ring 

 being always rufous. The rings somewhat broad, so that the 

 transverse body-bands are also broad, there being about 3g to the 

 inch, counting both light and dark bands. There are altogether about 

 12 or 13 bands; but they merge so gradually into the rest of the 

 body-colour that they cannot be exactly counted. Underfur grey- 

 brown. Neck, chest, and belly uniform grizzled grey, like the upper 

 part of the head and shoulders, not rufous as in C. zebra. Feet and 

 tail like body, but becoming gradually nearly or quite black towards 

 their distal parts. 



Skull comparatively broad and heav)% the teeth larger than in any 

 other species, P.M^ more than 8 mm. long, last molar small. 

 Dental percentage 57-59. 



Dimensions. 



Head and body. Tail. Hind foot. 



a. Cape 13-0 S'O 2-8 



b. Natal (type of /. to«?o?zo<Ms) . . 12'0 7*0 2*4 



Skulls. Basi- 



Palate- Palate- Inc. to cranial 



Length. Breadth, length, breadth, cross line. axis. 



a. S. Africa {Br. 



Smith) 2-84 1-67 1-51 -98 '99 1-05 



b. S. Africa {Br. 



Smith) 2-79 1-45 1-45 '92 POO -96 



' This name is so utterly barbarous, and that of H. fasciatus so well known, 

 that I think we are j ustified in ignoring it and using Desmarest's classical and 

 appropriate term. 



■•* Two specimens, said to be " Herpestes fasciatus," are recorded from Angola 

 in the ' List of Animals in Zool. Soc. Coll.' 1879, p. 62 ; but as neither of these 

 is still living and nothing has been preserved of them, I cannot say whether 

 they really belong to this species, to C. zebra, or to some undescribed form. 



