1908.] 



IN THE MUSTELINE CARNIVORA. 



949 



by the Fevret -Badger {Relictis orientalis). There is unquestion- 

 ably a close superficial resemblance between them in size, form, 

 and colour, although the white on the nape and shoulders of 

 Helictis is less extensive and there is more white on the face than 

 in Mydaus. Helictis, however, may be itself a protected form, 

 and in this case the resemblance between it and Mjjdaus is 

 probably an instance of common warning coloration usually called 

 Miillerian mimicry. 



Text-fio-. 194. 



Teledu {Mijdans j avanensis) , upper figure, and Ferret- Badger (Helicfis 

 orientalis), lower figure. 



In the genera of Mustelida^ above described the coloration is 

 very specialised, consisting in the Skunks andZoiillas of alternat- 

 ing black and white bands, and in the Teledus and Ferret-Badgers 

 of a single white band running down the back. There are some 

 Skunks, however, in which the entire dorsal area is white, as if 

 the white stripes had extended towards the middle line and 

 ■coalesced. It is quite possible, however, that the uniform white- 

 ness of the back is the more primitive livery of the two, and 

 that the ancestral Skunk was grey-backed, like a Ratel, later 

 forms becoming white-backed by the gradual whitening of the 

 whole dorsal area, or striped by the sorting of the hairs into black 

 and white bands. 



One of the best-known examjjles of the style of coloi^ation 

 mentioned above, in which the upper side is markedly lighter 

 than the under, is the Ratel [MeMivora), which is represented by 

 species or subspecies in India, Ai'abia, and Mrica. The back and 

 head, sometimes white, as a rule are iron-grey, the muzzle, legs, 

 and under side being jet-black. Where the grey or white of the 

 dorsal sui-face meets the black of the under surface, the contrast 

 between the two is emphasised by a whiter line which is very 



