56 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE MAMMALS OF [Jan. 19> 



6. Herpestes griseus, GeoiFr.^ 

 a-c. Sambhar, 1, 3, and 4/78. 



7. Herpestes smithii, Gray. 



a. <S . Sambhar, 13/1/78. 



8. Hy^na striata, L. 

 a. Sambhar, 17/1/78. 



9. Canis pallipes, Sykes. 

 a. Sambhar, 23/1/78. 



10. Canis aureus, L. 



a. (J. Jodhpur, 28/1/78. b. c? . Nawa, Sambhar Lake, 

 23/12/77. c. 2 . Goodha, Sambhar, 26/12/77. d. Sambhar. 



11. VULPES BEN6AL.ENSIS, ShaW. 



a. S • Sambhar, 17/1/78. 



12. VuLPES LEUCOPUS, Bly. 



a-c. S ' and 2 $. Sambhar, 9 and 12/77. d. d . Jodhpur, 

 26/1/78. 



13. Mellivora indica, Bodd. 

 a. 2- Sambhar, 14/1/78. 



14. Sciurus palmarum, L. 

 a. cJ . Sambhar. 



15. Nesokia bandicota, Bechst. 



a. cJ . Sambhar, 13/3/78. 



16. Nesokia hardwickei, Gr. 



a-e. 3 c? . and 2 $ . Sambhar, 6/77 and 1/78. 



^ There has been considerable diversity of opinion as to the name the 

 common Indian Mimgoose should bear, some authorities thinking the early 

 name of Fiverra mungo (Gmelin, Linn. S. N. i. p. 84, 1789) is applicable to it, 

 and others that the Ichmmim griseus of Greoffroy (Descr. Egypte, Hist. Nat. ii.' 

 p. 138, 1812) includes an African as well as an Indian species, and is therefore 

 not tenable. As to the first point, V. mungo was based by Gmelin primarily on 

 the " Rverra ichnemnon /3 " of Schreber (Saug. iii. p. 430, pis. cxvi. and cxvi. 

 B). But the latter is made up of a conglomeration of different animals from 

 various localities, the two plates representing, the first K griseus and the 

 second the South-African Crossarc/ms fasciatns (see P. Z. S. 1882, p. 91). In 

 addition ]lverra mimgo includes Herpestes persicus, Gay. { = H. aurcypunctatus, 

 Hodg.) as Jlr. Blanford has pointed out (Zool. East Persia, p. 42, 1876). In 

 my opinion therefore the only rational method of treating Viverra mungo is 

 simply to ignore it altogether. 



Passing to the second point, as to the applicability of Geoffrey's lohneummi 

 griseus to this species, I find that although Geoffroy quoted Buffbn's " Nems " 

 said to be East African, as identical with his animal, yet his description agrees 

 in every respect with the Indian Mungoose, and he distinctly states that his 

 species came from the " Indes Orientales," so that there is no valid reason why 

 the time-honoured name of Herpestes griseus should be superseded. 



