58 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE MAMMALS OF [Jan. 19, 



I. Herpestes auropunctatus birmanicus^ var. nov.^ 

 a. Boori bazar, 11/3/81. 



This specimen belongs to a race which for some time both Mr. 

 Blanford and I have thought to be new, and of which the Museum 

 possesses two other specimens, one from "Burma" (probablyTonghu) 

 presented by Mr. il. G. Wardlaw-Ramsay and exhibited to this 

 Society as H. auropunctatus by Mr. Alston in 1879 ^ ; and the other 

 from Pegu (10/4/81) presented and collected by Mr. Eugene Gates. 

 Mr. Blanford has also in his own collection a specimen of it from 

 Cachar. 



These four specimens are all nearly precisely alike and differ from 

 ordinary Nepalese H. auropunctatus by their larger size, heavier 

 build and slightly darker coloration, their superiority in size being 

 especially well marked in their skulls and dentition. 



The following are the comparative measurements of Mr. Oates's 

 Pegu specimen, which I will consider as the type of the variety, and 

 of the type of H. auropunctatus from Nepal, a fully adult male : — 



It is possible that this variety will hereafter have to be raised to 



1 The question as to whether this should be " birmanicus" or "burmanus" 

 has given rise to much doubt. Eoma makes ro7nanus and therefore Burma 

 should make bjinnamis, especially as Burma is undoubtedly the correct, and the 

 French Birmanie an incorrect and corrupt form of the name. Unfortunately, 

 however, not only have the Pi-ench corrupted the word into Birmanie, but the 

 Italians, to whom we must look as the reiiresentatives of the ancient Romans, 

 have also made the same change, calling it " Birmania," whence " birmanicus," 

 which I think we must accept as the nearest to the proper Latin for Burmese. 



^ Preliminary diagnosis in Ann. Mag. N. H. (5) xvii. p. 4. Jan. 1886. 



' P. Z. S. 1879, p. 665. 



' Measurements taken as explained, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 6.5, except that in 

 deference to what is now becoming the common practice, I take the "length of 

 skull " from the front of the premaxillre to the basion, instead of to the back of 

 the condyles. 



^ In the Manipur specimen 58 mm. 



" Combined lengths of basioccipital and basisphenoid, not including pre- 

 phenoid as accidentally stated before. 



