174 CARNIVOEA. 



there are generally eigM alternate bands, with the terminal band dark brown, and 

 it is clad with long hairs at its base, which gradually decrease in length and become 

 more adpressed towards its tip, which is unpencilled, as in S. persicus. The external 

 surface of the upper angle of the ear is clad with longish, annulated hairs, which 

 partially cover the anterior half of the organ, while the exposed, posterior portion is 

 clothed with very fine, unannulated hairs. The limbs are generally concolorous 

 with the body. The tarsus has the central nude area extending to the heel. The 

 claws are moderately strong. 



Cantor's examjile from Malacca in the India Museum agrees with the type of 

 S. auropunctatus, but it is slightly more yellowish. The dark Calcutta specimen, 

 however, is more yellowish than either of these, while another specimen from the 

 latter locahty is the exact facsimile of the first mentioned. 



Inches. 



Length from muzzle to vent . . . . . , . .12-70 



Length of tail (shrivelled) . . 8" 50 



„ „ with hair 10-25 



The skull of S. auropunctatiis is generally distinguished by the narrow and 

 elongated character of its facial portion, but some skulls of this species have 

 shorter and broader muzzles, and it may be that these differences are sexual. The 

 nasal portion of the palate is generally broader than in K. persicus, in the skulls 

 I have examined, but this j)ortion is subject to considerable variation. The orbit 

 is perfect in the adult. The last molar has two anterior and one posterior cusp, with 

 the tendency to form a cusp between the external, anterior and posterior cusps. 



There are 26 ribs, and the sternum has 7 mesosternal pieces. There are 27 

 caudal vertebrae. 



This species ranges from Nepal and the north-west of India to the eastwards 

 tln'ough Bengal, Cachar and Assam into Northern Burma, and extends south- 

 wards to the Malayan peninsula. 



The Mungoose figured by Edwards^ represents an Eerpestes, which, it is stated, 

 was the size of a polecat or ferret, and came from the East Indies. Geofiroy drew up 

 his description of S. edwmxlsii from that figure, but it appears to me impossible to 

 say, with any attempt at accuracy, whether S. edioardsii is identical with 

 H. pallidus or S. cmropunctatus, but the size of the animal and the colour given 

 of it would seemingly indicate that it was the latter species, an opinion which 

 Ogilby entertained. 



Herpestes persicus. Gray. Plate IX, figs. 9 and 10. 



Herpestes persicus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soe. Lond. 1864, p. 554, et Cat. Carniv. Mamm. Brit. Mus. 



1869, p. 151 ; Blanford, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1874, p. 662. 

 Herpestes pallipes, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc, Bengal, 1845, vol. xiv. p. 346 (foot-note). 

 Herpestes griseus, Hutton, Jouru. As. Soc. Bengal, 1845, vol. xiv. p. 346. 



' Nat. Hist. vol. iv. (1751), pi, cxois. 



