MANGUSTA JAVANICA, 
Pedes distiiicti ambulatorii, digitigradi pentadactyli semipalmati Plantm nudius- 
culffi, at incessus in digitis. Ungues : falculae acuta*. 
Mangusta fusco-nigricans, nitore glaucino undulata taeniolisque fulvo-cinereis varie- 
gata, capite dorso pedibusque saturatioribus, cauda attennata apice simplici 
acuta. 
Garangmiy of the Javanese. 
Serpenticida, sen Moncus. Mumphli Herbar. Amboin. auct< p. 69, & 28, f. 2. 5J. 
Ichneumon javanicus, La Mangouste de Java, Geoff r. DescripL de PEgypte, Mem. 
d'Htst. Nat torn. 2, p. 138, N. 5. 
Herpestes javanicus, JEncycl. Method. Mammalog. p. 212, Par M. A. G. Desmarest, 
1820. 
Mangouste de Java, JWflf. C«t?. Mamm, UtMgr. 25"^ livraism. 
Of the various names which have been introduced into the systematic catalogues, 
since the animals arranged by Linnaeus in the genus Viverra, have been distributed 
into several distinct genera, I have selected that of Olivier, which was first given 
to the Egyptian Mangusta. The name of Ichneumon, originally applied by 
Lacepede, and afterwards sanctioned by the authority of Georrroy, would doubtless 
be more appropriate, had it not previously been employed in Entomology ; and it 
may be presumed that for this reason it was not adopted by Olivier and by Illiger, 
The latter has applied to this genus the name of Herpestes ; but tliis had been 
selected by Gaertner, to distinguish a genus of plants, several years before the 
publication of Illiger's Prodromus ; and having been adopted by several Botanists 
of the first eminence, it must be considered as established in this branch of Natural 
History. 
In describing the Mangusta javamca, I shall first concisely enumerate those 
characters which apply generally to all the species ; the comprehensive observations 
of M. Geonroy, in describing the Egyptian Mangusta, will direct me in this enume- 
ration. 
The skull agrees generally in form with that of the genus Viverra ; a name 
which I propose to limit in this description to two species only, the Viverra Zibetha, 
