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Show 332 MR. STANLEY S. FLOWER ON TfiE [Apr. 3, In the Siamese Museum is a stuffed specimen from Prachai, Siam. Distribution. South-eastern Himalayas, Assam, Burma, South China, Siam. 41. HERPESTES JAVANICUS (Desin.). The Javan Mongoose. Sometimes called " Paang-pawn " by the Siamese. Cantor (p. 33) records this species as being numerous in Penang and on the Peninsula. On the 20th Jan. 1898 1 was giveu a live mongoose, supposed to have been caught in or near Bangkok, and probably on the west side of the Menam. As it was the only mongoose I had seen from the neighbourhood, and also belonged to a species I was not acquainted with, I was particularly interested to add it to my small private menagerie. It soon became a general favourite under the name of "Riki-tiki;" it was a very intelligent animal, but not clean in its habits, and it generally had a disagreeable smell. Like H. mungo it was inquisitive and courageous, and extraordinarily clever in killing snakes. I have seen it kill a Dhamin (Zamenis mucosus) over seven feet long ; when it had killed a snake, however large, it would drag the body to its cage and then commence eating it, head first, and continued eating till it got so distended that it could not move. The mongoose would then lie on its back, with all four legs stuck straight out, motionless for hours ; as soon as it had room internally it continued its meal. On leaving Siam 1 brought this mongoose with me, hoping to present it to the Zoological Gardens in London, but unfortunatel}' it died suddenly in the Red Sea ; on board the steamer it soon became famous among the crew for its celerity in killing rats. Mr. Oldfield Thomas, to whom I sent the skin for identification, writes : " The mongoose is a form of H. javanicus for which the names of exilis Gerv. and rutilus Gray are available if it is distinct, as I believe to be the case. I think you might call it exilis for the present, if you need a name." Distribution. Siam, Malay Peninsula, Java. 42. HERPESTES BRACHYURUS Gray. The Water Mongoose. " Musang Tiiron " of the Malays of tbe Peninsula (according to Cantor). " Musang Babi " (Pig-Civet) of the Malays (according to Ridley). " Bambun " of the Malays of Perak (according to L. Wray). Cantor (p. 35) records this species from the Malay Peninsula. Ridley (Nat. Science, vol. vi. 1895, p. 93) records it from Tringganu. In the Museum at Taiping are four stuffed mongooses (two from Larut, Perak) which Mr. Wray considers to be H. brachyurus. A large, dark mongoose in the Museum at Kuala Lumpor probably belongs to this species; as also, I think, does a large, very dark rufous-brown mongoose I have seen in the swamps near Jenan, Kedah. Distribution. Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo. |