MANGUSTA JAVANICA. 
Ichneumon Pharaonis, the Ichneumon major, the Ichneumon griseus, and the 
Ichneumon mungo of Geofiroy, there still remain five species, which differ only by 
insensible modifications of gray and brown ; and when they are brought together, 
and arranged in a series, agreeably to the nearest resemblance of colour, they appear 
to constitute mere varieties, while those at each extremity of such a series, are so 
dissimilar, that they must be considered as distinct species. This indeterminate series, 
as it is denominated by M. Fred. Cuvier, comprises the Mangusta Edwardsii, the 
Mangusta galera, the Mangusta rubra, the Mangusta javanica, of GeofFroy, and 
the Mangusta Malaccensis of Fred Cuvier. The Mangusta javanica exhibits the 
extreme darkness of colour among these, when contrasted with that from Malacca, 
the latter being of a grayish colour, while the former is dark brown, inclining to 
black. The Mangusta Edwardsii is only known by his figure and description ; 
the Mangusta galera, or Vansire, has been observed in the Menagerie of Paris ; and 
the Mangusta rubra is contained in the collections of the Museum at Paris. In the 
definition of these species, great accuracy has been displayed by M.M, Geofiroy, 
and Fre'd Cuvier. 
The genus Viverra comprised in the year 1766, when Linnaeus published the 
twelfth Edition of the Systema Naturae, six animals : 1, the Ichneumon, Viverra 
Ichneumon ; % f the brown Coati ; and 3, the rufous Coati, Viverra Narica, and 
Viverra Nasua ; 4, the American Pole-cat or Skunk, Viverra putorius ; 5, the 
Musk animal or Zibeth, Viverra Zibetha ; and 6, the Genet, Viverra Genetta, 
In the year 1788, Gmelin arranged under this genus twenty-six animals, which at 
the present period are distributed into two families, each comprising several genera, 
distinguished by clear and obvious characters. Of the various animals which Gmelin 
brought together, the Viverra Ichneumon, Mungo, and Cafra belong to the genus 
Ichneumon, as first defined by Lacepede; the Mangusta of Olivier; the Viverra tetradac- 
tyla, from which the Zenik appears to differ only in name, constitutes the genus Suricata 
of Desmarest, or Ryzeena of Uliger ; the Viverra Nasua and Viverra Narica are the 
only discovered species of the genus Nasua, first defined by Storr ; the Viverra 
Putorius, Mephitis, and several others, constitute the genus Mephitis of M. Georges 
Cuvier ; the Viverra Zorilla is placed in the genus Mustela, by Desmarest ; the 
Viverra caudivolvula forms the genus Potos of Geofiroy, or Cercoleptes of Illiger ; 
the Viverra mellivora and Viverra vittata belong to the genus Gulo of Storr; 
the Viverra Civetta and Viverra Zibetha constitute, at present, exclusively a 
genus to which the name Viverra might be preserved, by way of distinction ; the 
Viverra Genetta, Fossa, and several others, are arranged by M.M. G. Cuvier, 
Desmarest, &c., as a sub-genus of Viverra ; but their characters, in various particulars, 
are sufficiently marked, to sanction a separation into a distinct genus, to which the 
