3. ATHYIAX. 155 



Herpestes galera, JDesm. Mamm p. 212 ; Wagner, Oel. Anzeig. ix. 



Mangusta galera^ Fischer, Syn. p. 165. 



Mangouste vansire, Geoff. 



Mangusta (Athjrlax;) galera, DeBlainv. OsUogr. Yiyeiva., t.5 (skull). 



Ichneumon vansire, A. Smith, S. A. Q. J. p. 53. 



Iclineumon galera, Qeoff. Mhn. Egypt, p. 138. 



Vansire, Bnffon, S. iV. xiii. p. 157, t. 21. 



Hah. Madagascar. 



According to De DlainviUe's figure, tte skuU is more solid and 

 stronger than that of A. paludosus. Temminck thinks this a 

 variety or local state oi. Herpestes paludosus (Esq. Zool. p. 100). 



The description of the Vansire, from a stuffed specimen, is as 

 foUows : — " The fur is less long than that of a Marten or Polecat, 

 of the same dark brown colour on all parts of the body ; the under- 

 fur is brown ; the longer hairs are brown at the roots ; the remain- 

 der blackish and reddish, which succeed each other at small inter- 

 vals to the tip. These two colours occupy all the length of the hairs 

 of the tail. Toes 5 . 5. Length of body and head 13 inches, tail 

 7 inches, hair 2| inches long. Madagascar." — Buffon, H. N. xiii. 

 p. 169, t. 21. 



In the figure, the claws are represented as long, compressed, 

 arched, acute. 



The skuU of the animal figured by F. Cuvier is engraved in 

 De Blainv. Osteogr. t. 5. 



2. Athylaz paludosus. B.M. 



Brown, closely yeUow-punctulated ; hair elongate. 



Herpestes paludosus, Cuv. R. A. 



Mangusta xuinatrix, A. Smith, Zool. Jowrn. iv. p. 237. 



Herpestes paluatris, Bilppell. 



Herpestes griseus, Burchell, Cat. 



Herpestes caffer, Mus. Stuttgard. 



Herpestes paludinosus, Peters, Beise Mossamh. Saugeth. p. 119. 



Herpestes atilax (partly), Schinz, Syn. Mamm. i. p. 371. 



Ichneumon urinatrix, A. Smith, S. African Quart. Jowrn, i. p. 61. 



Mangusta paludinosa, Be Blainv. OsUog. Viverra, t. 5 (skull), t. 12 



(teeth). 

 Athylax paludosus. Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 557. 



Hah. South Africa, Cape of Good Hope, on the banks of the rivers, 

 a great diver {A. Smith) ; East Africa, Qmllimane {Peters). 



Var. Black-brown, only very sUghtly punctulated, except on the 

 side of the throat. 



Var. Canine teeth very strong. 



Hah. Guinea (Oervais). 



The skull is wider, compared with its length, than in most species 

 of the genus ; the brain-case is more convex; the contraction iu the 

 front of the brain-case is not so great or so sudden as in Herpestes 

 ichneumon and H. caffer, and is only a very small distance behind 

 the hinder edge of the'orbits. The orbit is very incomplete behind. 



