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62
THE TAPROBANIAN.
[December, 1885,
H. Flavidens.
This is a very distinct species, often taken for
0. Maccarthiae Gray, but is much smaller, and
a true Herpestes. It may be the H. fuscus of
Indian authors, confused with the H. fuscus,
Waterh., as diagnosed by Gray from the typical
specimen, but seems too small. I have only ob-
tained it in Saffragam. It seems likely to be the
H. Leschenaultii Schinz. from Pondicherry,which
Gray regarded as identical with H. Malaccensis ;
this can only be settled by examination of
types, and a verification of Leschenault’s locality.
Herpestes, n. sp. ?
I obtained near Trincomali a mungoose differ-
ing from all others yet collected by me in
Ceylon, and which I believe to be distinct from
H. fuscus Waterh., described from S. India.
The hair is soft and thick, and consists of a fine
dense under-fur of a yellowish-grey colour, and
an outer-fur of longer hairs. Taking one of
these, a wide pale-yellowish ring forms the base,
succeeded by a narrow darker ring, which
is followed by a narrow pale yellow ring, and
this is succeeded by a wide ring of dark brown,
with a golden yellow narrow band towards the
tip, the extreme tip being exceedingly fine,
and generally brown in hair of the back, but
pale in that of the sides. The general effect is
rich brown fur, finely mixed with short yellow
lines. Tail nearly the same colour as the back,
but the extreme tips of the long hairs are yellow
continuously with the sub-terminal ring, which
gives a slightly more fulvous effect. Legs of a
nearly uniform dull dark-brown colour ; fur of
lower parts fine, close, and of a rather uniform
brown, the yellow ring of each hair being scarcely
perceptible. Throat pale yellowish brown.
Length of body and head between 15 and 14
inches, tail 10 inches. This seems to me to
correspond fairly with the diagnosis of the Indian
species, as identified by Jerdon, but it is not
consistent with Gray’s description taken from the
type specimen in the British Museum. The type
of H. fuscus is “ black brown, white dotted ; hair
verypongand harsh Dr. Gray adds, “ length of
body and head 10 inches, tail 17 inches/’ which
measurements should doubtless be reversed.
The Ceylonese form cannot be called “black
brown, white dotted,” and the fine soft fur is
distinctly in contrast to the hair “very long and
harsh,” which would apply exactly to that of
H. Smithii Gray. There remains H. malaccen-
sis, a supposed variety of which is given from
Pondicherry on the authority of Leschenault.
Dr. Gray gives Schinz. syn. Mamm. i. 372 as a
synonym of H. fuscus; H. pallidus Schinz, loc.
cit. i. 373 as a synonym of H. griseus ; and H.
Leschenaultii Schinz., Cuv. Thierr. t. as identical
with H. pallidus, var., Schinz. i. 373; and it is
useless now to re-open this synonymy or further
discuss it.
I propose to call this species H. Ceylanicus,
if on further material it prove to be distinct
from H. Maccarthiae, as distinguished from
H. fuscus. It will probably prove to be a
second species of the genus Onychogale Gray,
characterised by the base of the skull being
deeply notched, and not truncated as in Her-
pestes, to which we may then add the character
of the fur, common to H. (onychogale) Mac-
carthiae, and the species to which my specimen
belongs. I regret I did not observe the skull
at the time, and it would be difficult now to
extract it from my skin. H. Maccarthiae Gray
is perhaps the Indian species confused with
H. fuscus Waterh.; it has been collected by me
near Colombo and Kandy. It is H. fulvescens
Kelaart in MSS. The present species seems to
come very close to H. exilis Eyd. from Touranne,
judging from the description alone. H. exilis
Eyd. seems to be identical with H. microcephalus
Tern, so far as the description of the latter en-
ables one to judge, but it is impossible to identify
with certainty H. microcephalus, as the diagnosis
is not sufficient to establish specific recognition.
The locality where Temminck’s type was pur-
chased, Havre, also favours my identification of
it with H. exilis.
My specimen is distinguished from this
species by the colour of the under parts, and the
larger size, and probably by the characters of
onychogale.
Herpestes (calictis) Smithii Gray.
This mungoose seems rather rare in Ceylon,
although widely distributed. It was described
by Kelaart as H. rubiginosus, and is the IL
Ellioti of Blyth, and the H. monticolus of Elliot.
A male obtained by me at Trincomali has a rich
brown band above the long black end of the tail,
which answers to the “maroon” of the tail of
monticolus. I have met with it on the north
bank of the Maha Oya in the Chilaw district,
and at Trincomali. Kelaart records it also from
Galle. Mr. Crowther has sent me the skin of a
fine adult killed at Batticaloa, also with the
brown band on the tail, and I have seen others
from the same locality. Mr. Bligh reports it
common in Haputala.
THE TAPROBANIAN.
[December, 1885,
H. Flavidens.
This is a very distinct species, often taken for
0. Maccarthiae Gray, but is much smaller, and
a true Herpestes. It may be the H. fuscus of
Indian authors, confused with the H. fuscus,
Waterh., as diagnosed by Gray from the typical
specimen, but seems too small. I have only ob-
tained it in Saffragam. It seems likely to be the
H. Leschenaultii Schinz. from Pondicherry,which
Gray regarded as identical with H. Malaccensis ;
this can only be settled by examination of
types, and a verification of Leschenault’s locality.
Herpestes, n. sp. ?
I obtained near Trincomali a mungoose differ-
ing from all others yet collected by me in
Ceylon, and which I believe to be distinct from
H. fuscus Waterh., described from S. India.
The hair is soft and thick, and consists of a fine
dense under-fur of a yellowish-grey colour, and
an outer-fur of longer hairs. Taking one of
these, a wide pale-yellowish ring forms the base,
succeeded by a narrow darker ring, which
is followed by a narrow pale yellow ring, and
this is succeeded by a wide ring of dark brown,
with a golden yellow narrow band towards the
tip, the extreme tip being exceedingly fine,
and generally brown in hair of the back, but
pale in that of the sides. The general effect is
rich brown fur, finely mixed with short yellow
lines. Tail nearly the same colour as the back,
but the extreme tips of the long hairs are yellow
continuously with the sub-terminal ring, which
gives a slightly more fulvous effect. Legs of a
nearly uniform dull dark-brown colour ; fur of
lower parts fine, close, and of a rather uniform
brown, the yellow ring of each hair being scarcely
perceptible. Throat pale yellowish brown.
Length of body and head between 15 and 14
inches, tail 10 inches. This seems to me to
correspond fairly with the diagnosis of the Indian
species, as identified by Jerdon, but it is not
consistent with Gray’s description taken from the
type specimen in the British Museum. The type
of H. fuscus is “ black brown, white dotted ; hair
verypongand harsh Dr. Gray adds, “ length of
body and head 10 inches, tail 17 inches/’ which
measurements should doubtless be reversed.
The Ceylonese form cannot be called “black
brown, white dotted,” and the fine soft fur is
distinctly in contrast to the hair “very long and
harsh,” which would apply exactly to that of
H. Smithii Gray. There remains H. malaccen-
sis, a supposed variety of which is given from
Pondicherry on the authority of Leschenault.
Dr. Gray gives Schinz. syn. Mamm. i. 372 as a
synonym of H. fuscus; H. pallidus Schinz, loc.
cit. i. 373 as a synonym of H. griseus ; and H.
Leschenaultii Schinz., Cuv. Thierr. t. as identical
with H. pallidus, var., Schinz. i. 373; and it is
useless now to re-open this synonymy or further
discuss it.
I propose to call this species H. Ceylanicus,
if on further material it prove to be distinct
from H. Maccarthiae, as distinguished from
H. fuscus. It will probably prove to be a
second species of the genus Onychogale Gray,
characterised by the base of the skull being
deeply notched, and not truncated as in Her-
pestes, to which we may then add the character
of the fur, common to H. (onychogale) Mac-
carthiae, and the species to which my specimen
belongs. I regret I did not observe the skull
at the time, and it would be difficult now to
extract it from my skin. H. Maccarthiae Gray
is perhaps the Indian species confused with
H. fuscus Waterh.; it has been collected by me
near Colombo and Kandy. It is H. fulvescens
Kelaart in MSS. The present species seems to
come very close to H. exilis Eyd. from Touranne,
judging from the description alone. H. exilis
Eyd. seems to be identical with H. microcephalus
Tern, so far as the description of the latter en-
ables one to judge, but it is impossible to identify
with certainty H. microcephalus, as the diagnosis
is not sufficient to establish specific recognition.
The locality where Temminck’s type was pur-
chased, Havre, also favours my identification of
it with H. exilis.
My specimen is distinguished from this
species by the colour of the under parts, and the
larger size, and probably by the characters of
onychogale.
Herpestes (calictis) Smithii Gray.
This mungoose seems rather rare in Ceylon,
although widely distributed. It was described
by Kelaart as H. rubiginosus, and is the IL
Ellioti of Blyth, and the H. monticolus of Elliot.
A male obtained by me at Trincomali has a rich
brown band above the long black end of the tail,
which answers to the “maroon” of the tail of
monticolus. I have met with it on the north
bank of the Maha Oya in the Chilaw district,
and at Trincomali. Kelaart records it also from
Galle. Mr. Crowther has sent me the skin of a
fine adult killed at Batticaloa, also with the
brown band on the tail, and I have seen others
from the same locality. Mr. Bligh reports it
common in Haputala.