MANGUSTA JAVANICA. 



Pedes distincti ambulatorii, digitigradi pentadactyli semipalmati. Plantce nudius- 

 cul^e, at incessus in digitis. Ungues : falcul^e acvitee. 



*-*W^-V* V^ ■V*^.**'* VWV'V^'**'* 'V^%'« ■*'V»^*«V*.'VW». 



Mangusta fusco-nigricans, nitore glaucino undulata teeniolisque fulvo-cinereis varie- 



gata, capite dorso pedibusque saturatioribus, cauda attenuata apice simplici 



acuta. 

 Garangan, of the Javanese. 



Serpenticida, sen Moncus. Rumphii Herhar. Amhoin. cmct. p. 69, t. 28, J". 2. 3. 

 Ichneumon javanicus. La Mangouste de Java, Geoffr. Descript. de I'Egypte, Mem. 



d'Hist. Nat. torn. 2, p. 138, N. 5. 

 Herpestes javanicus, Encycl. MetJiod. 3Iammalog, p. 212, Par M. A. G. Desmarest, 



1820. 

 Mangouste de Java, Fred. Cuv. Mamm. lithogr. 25^ livraison. 



Of the various names which have been introduced into the systematic catalogues, 

 since the animals arranged by Linneeus in the genus Viverra, have been distributed 

 into several distinct genera, I have selected that of Olivier, which was first given 

 to the Egyptian Mangusta. The name of Ichneumon, originally applied by 

 Lac^p^de, and afterwards sanctioned by the authority of Geoffroy, would doubtless 

 be more appropriate, had it not previously been employed in Entomology ; and it 

 may be presumed that for this reason it was not adopted by Olivier and by lUiger. 

 The latter has applied to this genus the name of Herpestes ; but this had been 

 selected by Gsertner, to distinguish a genus of plants, several years before the 

 publication of lUiger's Prodromus ; and having been adopted by several Botanists 

 of the first eminence, it must be considered as established in this branch of Natural 

 History. 



In describing the Mangusta javanica, I shall first concisely enumerate those 

 characters which apply generally to all the species ; the comprehensive observations 

 of M. Geofii-oy, in describing the Egyptian Mangusta, will direct me in this enume- 

 ration. 



The skuU agrees generally in form with that of the genus Viverra ; a name 

 which I propose to limit in this description to two species only, the Viverra Zibetha, 



