is nocturnal. 
ALLEN: MAMMALS FROM THE BLUE NILE VALLEY. 339 
British East Africa, F. c. kempi, type locality, Kirui, Elgon, and F. c. 
beirae, type locality, Beira, Portuguese East Africa. I have been able 
to make direct comparison with specimens in the Museum represent- 
ing the races galeopardus and hindei but from a study of these and of 
Wroughton’s descriptions it is clear that the serval of the dry flat 
country of the Blue Nile Valley is distinct from them all. It appears 
to be very much paler than kempz of the Elgon district and hinder of 
British East Africa, and represents to an extreme degree the reduction 
of the striped pattern to one entirely of spots on the body. The 
shortness of the tail and its color-pattern are also noteworthy. 
It is a pleasure to associate this fine cat with the name of Dr. John C. 
Phillips, to whose enthusiasm and generosity the present collection is 
due. The type specimen was trapped by him in a scattered growth 
of thorn trees on the outskirts of the native village of El Garef. 
LYNX CARACAL NUBICA (Fitzinger). 
Sudan Caracal. 
Caracal nubicus .Fitzinger, Sitzb. Kon. akad. wiss. Wien, math.-nat. cl., 1869, 
60, pt. 1, p. 205. 
The Caracal is apparently uncommon in the region traversed. 
There are specimens living in the Zoological Gardens at Gizeh, that were 
caught on the Blue Nile, and we trapped an immature specimen at 
Magangani a few miles below Roseires. It had come to the bait in 
_the late afternoon within a short distance of our camp. 
MUNGOS ALBICAUDUS ALBESCENS (Geoffroy). 
White-tailed Mongoose. 
Herpestes albescens Geoffroy, Rev. et mag. zool., 1839, p. 16. 
This was the only Mongoose we met with. Specimens were ob- 
tained on the Blue Nile and on the Dinder River. It seemed to be 
_ one of the commonest of the smaller Carnivora. Although the 
smaller species of mongoose are active by day, this species apparently 
At a camp a few miles above Roseires, one came to a 
trap within a few yards of the tent in the early evening, doubtless the 
same animal that succeeded in stealing the bait from a trap even 
| nearer the preceding evening. At Magangani, on visiting the traps 
