136 YITEEKIN^. 



be not rare in Ceylon. The first specimen obtained by Mr. Elliot had an 

 accidental dark collar, and that gentleman named it torquatus ia MSS. 

 which name is alluded to by Kelaart. 



131. Herpestes nipalensis. 



Gray. — Blyth, Cat. 165. — II. auro-punctatus, Hodgson. — H.pallipts, 

 Bltth, olim. 



The Gold-spotted Mtjngoos. 



Descr. — Of an uniform oliye-brown color, more or less saturate in 

 different individuals, freckled with golden yellow, paler and somewhat yel- 

 lowish-gray beneath ; cheeks more or less rusty ; tail shorter than the 

 body ; hairs with five distinct rings of black and golden, the fur short, 

 soft, adpressed. 



Length, head and body, 12 to 13 inches ; tail 9 to 10. 



This species resembles H. javanicus, but the ground color is lighter. 

 It is found over the whole extent of the lower Himalayas, from Sikim 

 to Kashmir (and even to Afghanistan) ; and it also occurs in the plains 

 near the hiUs, from Bengal to the Punjab, not extending far south. It 

 also inhabits Assam, Burmah, and the Malayan peninsula. Nothing 

 peculiar has been noticed of the habits of this mungoos. 



I find a species recorded in Schinz, H. ihysanurus, Wagner, from 

 Kashmir ; hair dark-brown ringed with pale yellow ; feet brown ; tail end- 

 ing in a long deep black tuft. This, if correctly described, must be dis- 

 tinct from nipalensis. The only mungoos I got in Kashmir was the latter 

 species. 



132. Herpestes fuscus. 



Wateehouse — Blyth, Cat. 167. 



The Nbelgherrt Brown Mdngoos. 



Descr. — General color brown, the hair being ringed black and yellow, 

 and tawny at the base ; throat dusky yellowish ; tail nearly equal in length 

 to head and body. 



Length of one, head and body, 18 inches ; tail with the hair 17. 



I procured this mungoos, many years ago, on the Neelgherries in the 

 dense woods near Gotacamund, and have not seen it from any other 

 locality. My original specimen ia in the Museum Asiatic of the Society at 



