168 



MESSRS. o. THOMAS AND R. c. WROUGin-ox ON [Mar. 17, 



tawiiy, bases of individual hairs buffy ; fur as above. Face to the 

 nape greyer than body, finely grizzled black and whitish ; upper 

 lip, chin, and throat buffy. Hands and forearm, feet to the ankles, 

 and chest blackish (forearm and chest grizzled, owing to the 

 presence of pale rings on the individual hairs). Tail coloured like 

 the back, except at the extreme tip (50 mm.), where black 

 predominates. 



Skull much as in typical paludinosus ; heel of last lower molar 

 measurably larger than in the Cape form. 



Measurements of the type : — 



Head and body 462 mm. ; tail 375 ; hind foot 105 ; ear 36. 



Skull: greatest length 102 mm, ; basilar length 85 ; zygomatic 

 breadth 50 ; length of m^ 7, 



Hah. Tambarara, Gorongoza Dist., Portuguese East Africa. 



Type. Young female. B.M, No. 8.1.1.53. Original number 

 1926. Collected 8th May, 1907. 



The rich rufous colour of this Mungoose will readily distinguish 

 it from any of the described forms of M. paludinosus. 



11. Rhynchogale melleui Gray, 

 J. 1861, 



12. Bdeogale crassicauda Pet. 



$. 1947. 



An examination of this specimen, which we provisionally 

 identify as £cl. crassicauda, makes it clear that two specimens 

 leceived from Mr. J. T. Last fi'om Zanzibar Island repi'esent a 

 new species, and we take this opportunity to publish a description 

 of it under the name of 



Bdeogale tenuis, sp. n. 



A small, short- tailed form. 



Covered above with a dense, soft underfur (15 mm.), mixed with 

 longer hairs (25-30 mm.), forming an outer coat, scarcely con- 

 cealing the underfur ; longer hairs entirely absent on the belly. 

 Tail cylindrical, its individual hairs about 25 mm. in length. 

 General colour bviffy clay, washed with black — the former being the 

 colour of the underfur, the latter that of the longei- hairs. On 

 the shoulders and sides of neck, however, these longer hairs are 

 white-tipped and thus produce a grizzled appeaiance. Face, hands, 

 and feet tawny. Tail black. 



Skull small. Teeth proportionally large. 



Measurements (those of the body from a dried skin) : — 



Head and body (c.) 410 mm. ; tail 180; hind foot 70; ear 20. 



Skull: greatest length 77 mm.; basal length 69-5; greatest 

 breadth 42 ; upper cheek-tooth series 22 ; palatal length 41 ; 

 breadth across m' 25. 



Hah. Zanzibar Island. 



Type. Old individual (sex unknown). B.M. No. 6.6.5.18. 

 Presented by the collector, Mr. J. T. Last. Two specimens. 



