1908.] MAMMALS FROM PORTUGUESE S.E. AFRICA. 167 



show why we use the name paludinosiis for the Marsh-Mungoose 

 itself. 



The name galera has hitherto been supposed to date from 

 Erxleben *, whose primary basis for the name was the " Galei-a " of 

 Brown's 'Jamaica' f, which is no doubt the Marsh-Mungoose. But 

 unfortunately Schreber's plate J of '■'■ 2Iustela galera Brown," is 

 one year earlier, and instead of being really based on Brow'n's 

 Mungoose, is a mere coloured copy of Buffon's figure § of the 

 "Vansire" of Madagascar, wdiich, as Gray suggested in 1864 |!, is 

 certainly the animal usually known as Galidia elegans I. Geoff. 

 Consequently this latter must bear the name of Galidia galera 

 Schreber, and another name be found for the Marsh-Mungoose. 



The next names on the list, Ylverra nems and JIustela afra of 

 Kerr ^, seem to be equally inapplicable, when critically examined. 

 The first is based on the " Nems " of Smellie's Buffon, which 

 appears to be some form allied to the common Indian Mungoose, 

 while the second is again primarily based on the Madagascar 

 " Vansii'e " (Galidia galera), and should be considered as a 

 synonym of that animal. 



Next among the synonyms usually quoted comes Ichneumon 

 major E. Geoffroy **, but this is based on Bufibn's " La Grande 

 Mangouste " ft, which there is no reason to consider as anything 

 but a large individual of Mungos ichneumon. 



Then follow\s the " Vansire" (^i^?7«ic vansire) of GeoflTroy and 

 F. Cuviertt, which is undoubtedly the Marsh-Mungoose, but 

 though the figure and description date from 1826, the technical 

 name was only given to the animal on the appeaiance of the 

 General Index in 1842. 



Before this latter date there was published G. Cuvier's name 

 Herpestes 2J(t'lu,dinosus §§, which antedated Smith's Mangtista 

 ttrioiatrix \\\\ by one month, and appears to be the tenable title of 

 the animal under consideration. 



The description of the new form is as follows : — 



About the size of typical M. paludinosiis. 



Upper surface of body clothed with a close, soft fur, about 

 15 mm. long, under a pelage of long (50-60 mm. on the back) 

 haii'S, somewhat harsher than in paludinosus. 



General colour above near "tawny ochraceous," obscurely 

 mottled with black ; individual haii'S, basal 4 slaty marked with 

 four rings of dirty whitish at intervals, distal i made up of 10mm. 

 tawny and tip (5 mm.) black ; fur slat3\ On the flanks and belly 



* Syst. R. A. p. 453, 1777. t P. 485, pi. slix., 1756. 



X Sauff. iii. pi. 135, 1776 (quoted by Erxleben). 



§ Hist] Nat. xiii. p. 167, pi. xxi., 1765. 



1 1 P. Z. S. 1864, p. 523. 

 IT Linn. Svst. Nat. pp. 160 & 175, 1792. 

 ** Descr. Egypte, Hist. Nat. ii. p. 139, 1812. 

 +t Hist. Nat. Supp. iii. p. 173, pi. xxvi., 1776. 

 11 H. N. Mamiu. iii. pi. 198, 1826. 

 §§ Kegiie Anini. (2) i. p. 158, April 1829. 

 ^|j| Zool. Journ. iv. p. 437, May 1829. 



