362 MR. R. I. POCOCK ON THE 



regard to the posterior end of the external lateral lobe. It is on 

 the outer side of the middle line of the foot, and between it and 

 the edging of hair there is a naked area of considerable size. 



The hind foot agrees with the fore foot in all essential respects, 

 but the digits are more symmetrically disposed and the claws ai-e 

 shorter. There is a small detached hallucal lobe, and above the 

 latter and on the corresponding area on the outer side of the foot 

 there are feeble indications of right and left metatarsal ridges. 

 The whole of the metatarsus is naked, and the nakedness extends 

 to the tip of the calcaneum (text-fig. 5, A, B, p. 358). 



Sketches of the feet of several examples identified as Mungos 

 miungo, the commonest of the Indian Mongooses, show a close 

 general resemblance to the feet of M. sniiihii described above, 

 except that the pollex and hallux are set a little higher and the 

 edges of the main interdigital webs ai-e a little more emarginate ; 

 but without further examples of M. smithii, it would be unwise 

 to attach systematic importance to these differences. 



An example of M. auro2ninctatus from Chittagong also has 

 feet of this type ; but the interdigital webs are more emarginate 

 than in M. mungo — that is to say, when the digits are separated 

 the edges of the webs project to a rather lesser extent beyond the 

 lobes of the plantar pad. In this species, moreover, the hallux 

 is much smaller than the pollex, a disparity in size not noticeable 

 in the examples of M. smithii and M. muiigo examined. 



The only representative of the African species of Mtmgos 

 I have examined is a spirit-specimen of M. gracilis *. In this 

 individual the feet are much more delicately formed than in the 

 Indian species, being narrower, with smaller pads and with the 

 webs considerably shallower even than in M. arti-o^ninctahis, and 

 both hallux and pollex are small and set high up the foot ; but 

 the claws of all the digits are short. Except for the shortness of 

 the claws and the retention of the hallux, the feet of M. g7'acilis 

 are nearly intermediate in structure between those of M. mungo 

 and Cynictis (text-fig. 8, E, F, p. 361). 



Although the number of species and specimens of this genus 

 examined is small, a certain amount of variation in the depth of 

 the interdigital webs is noticeable. This feature will probably be 

 found useful for distinguishing species when investigated in forms 

 hitherto unexamined. 



One other character is known to be variable, as Thomas has 

 shown for the African and Blanford for the Indian species, 

 namely, the extent to which the heel is covered with hair. 

 This feature may vary within the limits of a single species, 

 e. g. M. ichneum,on ; and in M, urva the upper part of the 

 metatarsus as well as the tarsus is hairy. 



In Helogale the feet recall those of the Indian species of 

 Mungos^ but, if anything, are more robust, with the webs 



* Peters figured the soles of the feet of this species under the name IK. ornatus 

 ('Eeise nach Mossambique,' Saug. pi. xxvi., 1852). The shallowness of the webs 

 is shown, but details of the plantar pads are not indicated. 



