NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 
so far have failed to obtain even a single specimen 
from any of the districts in this neighbourhood. 
The Slender Mungoose is nowhere common in 
South Africa. I have occasionally met with it in 
the thorny scrub in rocky situations near Pieter- 
maritzburg and Howick, in Natal, and in the eastern 
part of the Transvaal. 
As its name implies, this mungoose is slender 
in shape, and it is also small in size. The prevailing 
colour is greyish-brown with a yellow tinge. Each 
hair is annulated, or narrowly ringed black and red- 
dish brown, or dull white. The tail is of the same 
colour as the back, and is provided with a tuft of 
black hairs which project from one to two inches 
beyond the tip. The black tuft of hairs on the end 
of the tail of the Great Grey Mungoose is consider- 
ably larger than on this species, and each hair is 
three to four inches long. Moreover, the Slender 
Mungoose is of small size, and the other is large 
and robust in comparison, therefore it is impossible 
to confuse the two. 
A local race occurs in the Transvaal, and is known 
as Mungos caaui Swinnyt. 
Tue Ruppy Muncoose 
(Mungos ratlamuchi) 
Syn.: Herpestes gracilis badius 
The Ruddy Mungoose inhabits the drier parts 
of South Africa. Specimens have been obtained 
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