370 MR. R. I. POCOCK ON THE 



(P. Z. S. 1882, p. 183) :— "The anus opens into the middle of a 

 very large and deep fossa, into which several pairs of anal glands 

 also open. The structure of these parts is described by M. Chatin 

 as they exist in both species. The condition found in C. obscurus 

 is described by him in .... 0. R. Assoc. frauQaise, i. p. 557, 1872. 

 The parts of C.fasciatus are described and figured by him (under 

 the name of Herpestes fasciatus) in the Ann. des Sc. Nat. vol. xix. 

 (5th series) 1874, p. 89, figs. 29-33 & 38. No less than five 

 pairs of glands are arranged about the anvis, and pour their 

 secretion into the capacious and naked anal pouch." 



Reference to these two papers shows that the second is merely 

 an amplified edition of the first. G. obscicrus is not mentioned 

 in either. It is C. fasciatus that is described in both, and Chatin 

 does not even quote the first publication in the second. He was 

 clearly unacquainted with 0. obscurus, at all events so far as the 

 organs under discussion are concerned. Hence Mivart's above 

 quoted summary of Chatin's description of the anal sac and 

 glands in Grossarchus applies solely to C. fasciatus, and Thomas's 

 claim of affinity between the two species derived from Mivart's 

 information falls to the ground. 



In a male and a female example of Crossarchus obscurus (text-fig» 

 10, F, G), I find the anal sac and glands resemble in a general way 

 those of typical Mongooses of the genera Mtmigos { = Herpestes), 

 Bdeogale, and Helogale. The anus is sunk in a central subcircular 

 depression surrounded by an upstanding thickened rim which is 

 about eqiial in thickness to the transverse diameter of the 

 depression. The skin of the superior or caudal area of this 

 thickened rim is furnished with a number of fine longitudinal 

 laminpe which pass into the centi-al depression above the anus, 

 where they break up into wrinkles set for the most part trans- 

 versely between the anus and the two orifices of the anal glands. 

 These orifices are quite conspicuous, open in the ordinary position, 

 and lead into glandular reservoirs of average size. 



Thus the anal glands and anal sac in both sexes of Crossarchus 

 obscurus difi"er very considerably from those of the male Ariela 

 fasciata described by Chatin. 



A female of Ariela fasciata, or of a closely-allied form brought 

 by Mr. G. Blaine, FiZ.S., from the Sudan (text-fig. 10, D, E), 

 has a very large anal sac as compared with that of most species 

 of Mongooses. Its surface is marked with three pairs of integu- 

 mental folds or depressions — two pairs above and one pair at the 

 sides of the anus. The depressions of the upper of the supra- 

 anal pairs are situated close together immediately beneath the 

 upper rim of the anal sac, and are sunk in a common fold of the 

 skin. Those of the lower of the supra-anal pairs are beneath 

 them, but more widely separated and nearer the anus. Those of 

 the lateral pair are placed far out towards the lateral rim of the 

 anal sac. They are much longer than the others, and approxi- 

 mately follow the curvature of the rim of the sac, but come to an 



