92 MR. 0, THOMAS ON THE AFRICAN MUNGOOSEs. __[Jan. 3, 
those of Crossarchus. First upper premolar absent, with no dia- 
stema in its place; first lower either present or, if absent, there is 
a distinct diastema. Auditory meatus somewhat prolonged, with 
the imperfection of the floor well marked, consisting of a line of 
minute holes, quite different from the large round hole found in this 
position in Cynictis’. 
1. SuRICATA TETRADACTYLA. 
Viverra suricatta, Erxl, Syst. Regn. An. p. 488 (1777). 
V. tetradactyla, Schreb. Siug. iii. p. 434, tab. exvii. (1778). 
Mus zenik, Scopoli, Delic. Flor. et Faun, ii. p. 84 (1786). 
Viverra zenik et tetradactyla, Gmel. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 85 
1789). 
ee capensis, Desm. Tabl. Méth. Mamm. (p. 15) in Nouv. 
Dict. d’ Hist. Nat. Ist edit. xxiv. (1804). 
Rhyzena tetradactyla, Il. Prodr. Syst. Mamm. p. 134 (1811). 
Suricata viverrina, Desm. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. 2nd edit. 
Kxxli. p. 297 (1819). © 
Rhyzena typicus, Smith, 8. Afr. Quart. Journ. ii. p. 117 (1835). 
Hab. Cape Colony (Algoa Bay, Cape, &c.). 
Size small; form slender. Tail about half the length of the head 
and body together. Fur long and soft. General colour light 
grizzled grey, with black transverse bands across the posterior part 
of the back. Longer hairs broadly ringed with black and white, 
the white on the whole predominating ; the transverse bands formed 
by the regular arrangement of the hairs, by which the white and black 
rings come opposite to each other on adjacent hairs. Underfur 
dark rufous. Head nearly white, except a distinct oblong black 
mark round the eyes. Lars black. Tail yellowish, with a well- 
marked black tip. Feet like body. Skull as described above. 
Dental percentage 70-79. 
Dimensions. 
Head and body. Tail. Hind foot. 
a. (In spirit)... 14-0 70 2°4 
68. Africa .. .. 15:0 75 2°5 
C: ob arte 14:0 8:0 2°5 
Skulls. 
Palate- Palate- Ine. to Basi- 
Length, Breadth. length. breadth, cross line. cranial axis. 
a.. 2°42 1°79 N37) 90 88 74 
6.. 2°38 1°75 1:36 “84 84 ‘76 
This animal is a well-known Cape species: it seems to be confined 
' Prof. Flower, in his paper on the Classification of the Carnivora (P. Z. 8. 
1869, p. 20), says of this genus:—“ Here, and here alone among the Viver- 
ridx, there is a prolonged auditory meatus; but it presents the peculiarity 
of being fissured along the whole extent of the middle of its floor.” It should, 
however, be noted that Crossarchus has a somewhat produced meatus, and that 
all the genera of this group haye constantly a more or less fissured meatus-floor, 
individual skulls often exceeding Swricata in this respect. 
