HERPESTES BADIUS. 
The adults of both sexes are nearly alike in regard to colour and size. In 
the young animal there is a distinct reddish cast over the whole body, but it is 
much broken by the yellowish and brownish rings which occur on each hair 
and which appear in this age upon the head and thighs as well as the back. 
At one time I was disposed to regard our animal as identical with Herpestes ruber, Desm., # 
but upon comparing it with the description of the latter as furnished by the author just quoted, 
I found it to differ in many points. In our species, the body, as will be seen by a reference to 
the measuiements, is shorter than the tail ; in that of Desmarest, the tail is four inches shorter 
than the body ; in ours, the tip of the tail is deep black ; in his, that part is not described 
as being of a different colour to the rest of the animal. 
The first specimen of this species we obtained was killed near Old Latakoo, and several others 
were seen between that and Kurichane, which lies about 120 miles more to the eastward. The 
animal appeared restricted to dry sandy districts abounding in brushwood, and in these, was 
occasionally seen running from one copse to another. It is extremely shy, and flies on the 
approach of man to its hiding places with great rapidity ; hence only a very few specimens were 
obtained. Nothing except the remains of insects were found in the stomachs of those we 
piocured ; but if the natives are to be believed, it feeds with avidity also upon lizards, snakes, 
mice, See. 
In addition to this and another new species which we shall hereafter figure, five others 
inhabit the South of Africa, namely, Herpestes Pharaonis, Desm., II. griseus, Desm., 
H. urinator, Smith, II. teenianotus, Smith, and II. albicaudis, Smith. -f- Before long, however, 
there is every reason to expect additional species will be added to the preceding, as the 
BechuanasJ described to us several little quadrupeds clearly differing from any of the fore- 
gomg, yet doubtless belonging either to this genus or to Cynictis of Ogilby. 
* Encyclopedic Methodique, (Mammalogie, fol. 213.) 
+ South African Quarterly Journal, New Series, No. 2, part 1, March 1834. 
I he native tribes (not including the Hottentots) immediately north of the colony. Bechuana is the term 
which has been invented by themselves to indicate all the clans in that direction who resemble each other 
in external appearance, and speak the same language. The import of the word proves the propriety of 
its application, bechuana being the plural of ckuana, signifying alike or similar. 
