much subdivision.

_GENUS HERPESTES_.

Long vermiform body; short legs with five semi-palmated toes with
short compressed claws; eyes small, with linear erect pupils; long
skull with forty teeth; the orbit complete in many cases, or only
slightly imperfect; the hairs are long, rigid, and ringed like the
quill of a porcupine, which gives the grizzled appearance peculiar
to these animals. The female has only four mammae. They are very
active and sanguinary, chiefly hunting along the ground, but can
climb with facility. There are several species found within the
limits of British India, and many more in Africa.

NO. 236. HERPESTES PALLIDUS _vel_ GRISEUS.
_The Common Grey Mungoose_ (_Jerdon's Nos. 127 and 128_).

NATIVE NAMES.--_Mungus_, _Newul_, _Newra_, _Nyul_, Hindi; _Mungli_,
Canarese; _Yentawa_, Telegu; _Koral_, Gondi; _Moogatea_,
Singhalese.

HABITAT.--India generally and Ceylon, but apparently not in Burmah.

DESCRIPTION.--Light iron grey with a yellowish tint, some more
rufous, the hairs being ringed with brown and grey or yellowish-white;
muzzle and feet brown; irides light brown.

SIZE.--Head and body, 16 to 20 inches; tail, 14 to 16-1/2 inches.

Jerdon calls this the Madras mungoose, and separates it from the next
species, but they are apparently the same. Dr. Anderson prefers the
specific name _pallidus_ to either _griseus_ or _Malaccensis_, as
_griseus_ originally included an African species, and the latter
name is geographically misleading. Hodgson's name _H. nyula_ is
objectionable, as _nyul_ or _newul_ is applied by natives to all
mungooses generally. Jerdon's Nos. 127 and 128 differ only in colour
and size; according to him the lighter and larger, _griseus_, being
the Southern India mungoose, and the browner and smaller,
_Malaccensis_, the Bengal and the Northern India one. But at Sasseram
in Behar, I some years ago obtained a very large specimen of the
lighter species, and have lately seen a skin from the North-west
Provinces. This animal is familiar to most English residents in the
Mofussil; it is, if unmolested, fearless of man, and will, even in
its wild state, enter the verandahs and rooms of houses. In one house
I know a pair of old ones would not only boldly lift the bamboo chicks
and walk in, but in time were accompanied by a young family. When
domesticated they are capable of showing as much attachment as a dog.
One that I had constantly with me for three years died of grief during