376 Zoological Society. 



hitherto unnoticed in the catalogues ; I have therefore sent a short 

 description of them to the Society. 



Mycetes palliatus (Mantled Howler). 



Black brown ; hair of the middle of the back and upper part of the 

 sides yellow brown, with black tips ; of the lower part of the sides 

 elongate brownish yellow, forming a kind of mantle on each side. 



Hab. Caraccas. 



The hair of the forehead short, reflexed, forming a slight crest 

 across the middle of the head ; of the back of the head rather longer ; 

 of the cheeks few, scattered, short and greyish ; of the hinder part 

 of these rather longer than those on the rest of the head, and form- 

 ing a slight beard, which is more distinct in the males; the lower 

 part of the hairs on the shoulders is sometimes yellowish. 



Sciurus dorsalis (Black-backed Squirrel). 



White, hairs black, with, more or less, long white tips ; the eye- 

 brows, back of the head, nape and middle of the back brownish black, 

 forming a very broad, well-defined dorsal streak. 



Hab. Caraccas. 



The black of the hairs of the sides of the body and tail show through 

 the general white colour ; the black occupies all except the tip of the 

 hairs. The hairs of the lower part of the legs and feet are white to 

 the base ; ears rounded, not bearded, and with scattered hairs. 



This may be only a variety of some other American species, but 

 the two specimens which were sent home were exactly alike. 



4. Description of a new species of Herpestes, from Abyssinia. 

 By J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S. etc 



Mr. F. H. Hora having kindly presented to the Museum a specimen 

 of a male Herpestes which he lately caught in Abyssinia, and as it 

 is different from any of the species of the genus described by Dr. Riip- 

 pell in his Fauna of that country, original specimens of which are in 

 the British Museum collection, I have the pleasure of laying a short 

 description of it before the Society. 



Herpestes ochraceus (Ochraceous Herpestes). 



Pale brownish yellow, very minutely mixed or punctated with a 

 darker tint ; chin, throat and under part paler, not punctated ; end of 

 tail bright yellow, with an elongated black tip. 



Hab. Abyssinia. 



The hair of the back short, yellow, with a short blackish base and 

 a narrow dark brown subterminal band ; of the throat and under part 

 of the body longer uniform pale yellow, with a short dark band at 

 the base ; of the lower half of the tail longer pale yellow, with three 

 or four rather narrow, equidistant darker bands ; of the end of the tail 

 uniform bright yellow, and of the hinder end all black, forming a 

 terminal tuft. Ears rather large, rounded, covered with short close- 

 pressed hairs. The soles of the hind-feet bald to the heels. 



The skull is rather elongate and narrow ; the false grinders are 3-3, 



