MANGUSTA JAVANICA. 



Ichneumon Pharaonis, the Ichneumon major, the Ichneumon griseus, and the 

 Ichneumon mungo of Geoffroy, there still remain five species, which differ only by 

 insensible modifications of gray and brown ; and when they are brought together, 

 and arranged in a series, agreeably to the nearest resemblance of colour, they appear 

 to constitute mere varieties, while those at each extremity of svich a series, are so 

 dissimilar, that they must be considered as distinct species. This indeterminate series, 

 as it is denominated by M. Fred. Cuvier, comprises the Mangusta Edwardsii, the 

 Mangusta galera, the Mangusta rubra, the Mangusta javanica, of Geoffroy, and 

 the Mangusta Malaccensis of Fred Cuvier. The Mangusta javanica exhibits the 

 extreme darkness of colour among these, when contrasted with that from Malacca, 

 the latter being of a grayish colour, while the former is dark brown, inclining to 

 black. The Mangusta Edwardsii is only known by his figure and description ; 

 the Mangusta galera, or Vansire, has been observed in the Menagerie of Paris ; and 

 the Mangusta rubra is contained in the collections of the Museum at Paris. In the 

 definition of these species, great accuracy has been displayed by M.M. Geoffroy, 

 and Fr^d. Cuvier. 



The genus Viverra comprised in the year 1766, when Linnaeus published the 

 twelfth Edition of the Systema Naturae, six animals : 1, the Ichneumon, Viverra 

 Ichneumon ; 2, the brown Coati ; and 3, the rufous Coati, Viverra Narica, and 

 Viverra Nasua ; 4, the American Pole-cat or Skunk, Viverra putorius ; 5, the 

 Musk animal or Zibeth, Viverra Zibetha ; and 6, the Genet, Viverra Genetta. 

 In the year 1788, Gmelin arranged under this genus twenty-six animals, which at 

 the present period are distributed into two families, each comprising several genera, 

 distinguished by clear and obvious characters. Of the various animals which Gmelin 

 brought together, the Viverra Ichneumon, Mungo, and Cafra belong to the genus 

 Ichneumon, as first defined by Lacepede; the Mangusta of Olivier ; the Viverra tetradac- 

 tyla, from which the Zenik appears to differ only in name, constitutes the genus Suricata 

 of Desmarest, or Myzcena of lUiger ; the Viverra Nasua and Viverra Narica are the 

 only discovered species of the genus Nasua, first defined by Storr ; the Viverra 

 Putorius, Mephitis, and several others, constitute the genus Mephitis of M. Georges 

 Cuvier ; the Viverra Zorilla is placed in the genus Mustela, by Desmarest ; the 

 Viverra caudivolvula forms the genus Potos of Geoffroy, or Cercoleptes of Illiger ; 

 the Viverra mellivora and Viverra vittata belong to the genus Chilo of Storr ; 

 the Viverra Civetta and Viverra Zibetha constitute, at present, exclusively a 

 genus to which the name Viverra might be preserved, by way of distinction ; the 

 Viverra Genetta, Fossa, and several others, are arranged by M.M. G. Cuvier, 

 Desmarest, &;c., as a sub-genus of Viverra ; but their characters, in various particulars, 

 are sufficiently marked, to sanction a separation into a distinct genus, to which the 



