836 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL KIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



Horsfield's name rasse must be left out of the synonymy of this species^ 

 it belongs to the Javan species which is distinct. wk 



These specimens might have been expected to fall into the sub-species 

 deserti, Bonhote, from Rajputana, but neither in colouration nor skuD 

 characters do they resemble Bonhote's type. One of the specimens is an 

 extraordinarily aged individual, the molars being worn entirely away, their 

 roots only showing beyond the jaw. 



Vernacular name — Jabadio. (if. H. the Rao.) 

 ''This Civet is nocturnal and very shy."^ — C. A. C] 



MuNGOS MUNGO, Gmel, 



The common Indian Mongoose. 



(For synonymy see Report No. ] ,) 

 6 252, 339. Bhuj, Cutch. 



S 253, 270, 277 ; $ 267, 269. Nokania, Cutch.. 

 S 293. Dhonsa, Cutch. 

 c? 373 ; $ 354, 355, 392. Charwa, Cutch. 

 $ 400. Perwadi, Cutch. 



{Vide also Reports Nos. 1 & 2.) 

 Vernacular name — Nokiyo. (If. S. the Rao.) 

 [" The Mongoose is very common in Cutch, particularly in the north. 

 jarer towards the east coast. It lives under roeks and in holes, apparently 

 dug by itself, it is diurnal, very bold, though wary, and excessively 

 inquisitive ; it rarely goes any distance from cover. It climbs well. 

 When trapped it screams loudly, but normally anger is shown by arching 

 the back and a growl like a cat." 



" I was told by an eye witness that a mongoose attacked a snake which 

 was coiled round a branch near the ground, the snake kept the mongoose- 

 off for some time, until the latter retired out of sight. The snake then 

 descended to the ground and the mongoose, with a lightning-like rush 

 from a neighbouring bush seized it by the head." — C. A, C] 

 H. H. the Rao in a note to Mr. Crump expresses the opinion — 

 (1) that the mongoose we get here has " a white tip to its tail, and is 

 not the same as the one commonly met with elsewhere in India which has a 

 distinct black tip to its tail." I think H, H. must have been thinking o£ 

 Mungos smithi, a quite distinct and somewhat larger animal,, which is the 

 only mongoose in India with a distinct bia&k tip to its tail. The present 

 specimens seem to average a shade smaller than those from Khandesh and 

 Berar, and have a very slightly more reddish colouration in the bars- 

 across the tail than is found in the latter. 



2) " The Cutch mongoose is probably the same one as in Sindh." The 

 North Sind mongoose (i. e., ferrugineus, Blanford) is strikingly different in 

 its general bright rufous colouration and sed tail-tip. 



