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Show 56 MR. O. THOMAS ON THE MAMMALS OF [Jan. 19, 6. HERPESTES GRISEUS, Geoffr.1 a,-c. Sambhar, 1, 3, and 4/78. 7. HERPESTES SMITHII, Gray. a. S • Sambhar, 13/1/78. 8. HYAENA STRIATA, L. a. Sambhar, 17/1/78. 9. CANIS PALLIPES, Sykes. a. Sambhar, 23/1/78. 10. CANIS AUREUS, L. a. S. Jodhpur, 28/1/78. b. S • Nawa, Sambhar Lake, 23/12/77- c 2 • Goodha, Sambhar, 26/12/77. d. Sambhar. 11. VULPES BENGALENSIS, Shaw. a. 6*. Sambhar, 17/1/78. 12. VULPES LEUCOPUS, Bly. a-c. <$. and 2 $. Sambhar, 9 and 12/77. d. d1. Jodhpur. 26/1/78. 13. MELLIVORA INDICA, Bodd. a. 2 • Sambhar, 14/1/78. 14. SCIURUS PALMARUM, L. a. S • Sambhar. 15. NESOKIA BANDICOTA, Bechst. a. 6*. Sambhar, 13/3/78. 16. NESOKIA HARDWICKEI, Gr. a-e. 3 6 . and 2 $ . Sambhar, 6/77 and 1/78. 1 There has been considerable diversity of opinion as to the name the common Indian Mungoose should bear, some authorities thinking the early name of Viverra mungo (Gmelin, Linn. S. N. i. p. 84, 1789) is applicable to it, and others that the Ichneumon griseus of Geoffroy (Descr. Egypte, Hist. Nat. ii. p. 138, 1812) includes an African as well as an Indian species, and is therefore not tenable. As to the first point, V. mungo was based by Gmelin primarily on the " Viverra ichneumon )3 " of Schreber (Saug. hi. p. 430, pis. cxvi. and cxvi. B ) . But the latter is made up of a conglomeration of different animals from various localities, the two plates representing, the first H. griseus and the second the South-African Crossarchus fasciatus (see P. Z. S. 1882, p. 91). In addition Viverra mungo includes Herpestes persicus, Gay. ( = H. auropunctatus, Hodg.) as Mr. Blanford has pointed out (Zool. East Persia, p. 42, 1876). In m y opinion therefore the only rational method of treating Viverra mungo is simply to ignore it altogether. Passing to the second point, as to the applicability of Geoffroy's Ichneumon griseus to this species, I find that although Geoffroy quoted Buffon's " Nems " said to be East African, as identical with his animal, yet his description agrees in every respect with the Indian Mungoose, and he distinctly states that his species came from the " Indes Orientales," so that there is no valid reason why the time-honoured name of Herpestes griseus should be superseded. |
