1882.] AFRICAN MUNGOOSES. 87 
which has already been proved to be one of singular variability '. 
No doubt, also, C. obscurus has a somewhat more elongated nose 
than the other species ; but the value of this character, besides being 
almost impossible to estimate without spirit specimens, is extremely 
doubtful; and the remarkable agreement in other characters convinces 
me that C. odscurus is certainly congeneric with C. zebra, gambianus, 
and fasciatus. 
Most specimens of C. obscurus have aremarkably short alisphenoid 
canal, as compared with that of most Mungooses; but one of our 
specimens has the canal quite as long as in ordinary C. zebra, the 
species which has the next shortest canal. 
The species of this genus seem to be somewhat restricted in their 
geographical distribution. Thus C. obscurus has hitherto only been 
found from the Cameroons to Sierra Leone, C. gambianus on the 
Gambia, C. zebra in Abyssinia, and C. fasciatus in the eastern part 
of the Cape colony and as far north as Mozambique’. 
Synopsis of the Species. 
I. Back grizzled, not cross-striped. 
a. Colour dull brown, tips of hairs yellow...... 1. C. obsewrus, p. 87. 
b. Colour grizzled grey, hairsannulated......... 2. C. gambianus, p. 88. 
II. Back cross-striped. 
ec. P.M‘ more than 8 mm. Stripes narrow, 
Wnidersid ents Irecehctugeertixe= dentees bee teeh 3. C. zebra, p. 89, 
d P.M* less than 7 mm. Stripes broad, 
Underside grizzled grey .........sescscseeree 4. C, fasciatus, p. 90. 
1. CROSSARCHUS OBSCURUS. 
Crossarchus obscurus, F. Cuv. Hist. Nat. Mamm., iii. livr. 47 
1825). 
Abra typicus, A. Smith, 8S. Afr. Quart. Journ. ii. p. 135 
(1835). 
Hab. West Africa. 
Size medium ; form rather stout; muzzle produced. ‘Tail about 
half as long as the head and body. General colour dull grizzled 
brown; the longer hairs dark brown for four fifths of their length, 
and the tips yellow. Underfur brown at base, light grey for terminal 
half. Belly like back. Head more finely grizzled, with a rufous 
tinge. Feet almost wholly black. Tail lke back, but the yellow 
tips of the hairs gradually become red towards the tip. 
Skull long and narrow, with a narrow and depressed nasal region. 
Teeth very small, upper P.M* but seldom reaching 7 mm. in its 
greatest diameter. Dental percentage 71-77. 
Dimensions. 
Head and 
body. Tail, Hind foot. 
@ Cameroons... a5... 15:0 foal 2°8 
GeV PO ATiCa, co oie 6. :: 12°5 os 2 
1 See above, p. 67. 
= 
2 See footnote 2 on p. 90. 
