2. HEEPESTES. 153 



19. Herpestes semitorquatus. B.M. 



Dark red -brown, very slightly pimctulated ; cheeks and sides of 

 tho neck uniform pale bay ; legs, and feet black ; tail black, with 

 some white tips to the hairs. Length of body and head 18 inches, 

 tail 11 inches. 



Herpestes semitorquatus, Qray, Zool. Sulphur, t. 3. f. 1-3, 1849 : 

 P: Z & 1864, p. 655. - ^ 



Mab. Borneo (Belcher). 



The skull is not quite adult, much broader compared with its length 

 than even that of Aihylax paludosus. The contraction in the front 

 of the brain-cavity is slight, and rather in front of the back edge of 

 the orbits. The orbit is rather large, and slightly incomplete behind ; 

 the zygomatic arch is rather short, and not much bowed out. The 

 teeth are normal, and very Uke those of H. ichneumon^ they occupy 

 a rather shorter space. Length of the skull 3^ inches ; width of the 

 brain-case 1^, of the zygomatic arch 1-L| inch. SkuU short and 

 broad. 



Lower jaw — chin shelving; lower edge arched, without any pro- 

 minence under the end of the tooth-Une ; false grinders 4.4; the 

 front false grinder small, deciduous ; the tubercular grinders oblong, 

 longitudinal, with two unequal anterior and one large posterior 

 tubercle. 



Like H. hrachyurus in some respects ; but the tail is longer, and 

 the sides of the neck bright pale red, separated from the other parts 

 by a defined line, 



20. Herpestes exilis. 



" PaUide flavo nigroque annulatis ; capite et dorso cinnamomeo et 

 nigro annulatis ; pedibus nigrescentibus, gula cinnamomea, ventre 

 pallidiore ; cauda pilosa, non penicUlata, palmis plantisque nudis. 



" Long. Corp. lOJ poll., caudse 8 poll." 



Herpestes exilis, Hydoux, Zool. de la Bonite, t. 3. f. 7-9; Oray, 

 P. Z. S. 1864, p. 555. 



" Hab. East Indies, Touranne {Eydouos)." 



21. Herpestes malacceusis. 



T)nl1 ashy, beneath rather paler ; hairs black, white- and yeUow- 

 ringed ; orbits, ears, and tip of nose naked, violet ; tail the colour of 

 the body, very thick at the base, ending with yeUow hairs. 



Herpestes malaccensis, F. Ouv. M. lAthog. t. ; Oray, P. Z. S. 1864, 



p. 555. 

 Mangusta malaccensis, Fischer, Syn. p. 164. 

 Herpestes pallidus, var., Schinz, Syn. Mamm. i. p. 373. 

 Herpestes Erederici, Desm. Diet. S. Wat. xxix. p. 60. 

 Herpestes Leschenaultii, Schinz, Cuv. Thierr. t. 



Hab. Malacca, Pondicherry (Leschenault). 



