CYNICTIS LEPTURTJS.
is considerably shorter than the hair; the latter on the head, body, and
anterior extremities is strongly recumbent, but on the outer surface of the
posterior extremities and the tail it is more or less divergent, and on these is
considerably longer than elsewhere; on the head it is very short. The colour
of the fur is uniform, and the slight variegations which appear depend upon
the markings of the hair. For the characters of the teeth and the form of the
head, see Plate 18, and its descriptive letter-press.
DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines.
Length from the tip of the nose to
the root of the tail ........... 15 11
Length of the tail ........ 9 3
Height at the shoulder .................... 5 3
Inches. Lines.
Distance between the point of the
nose and the ey e................ 1 2
Distance between the eye and the
base of the ear superiorly... o H
The almost uniform colour of this species enables us easily to distinguish
it from the other two found in South Africa,—the comparative shortness of
the hair with which it is covered, and the slenderness of the tail, in which
respect it is more akin to Herpestes than Cynictis, are also available diagnostic
characters.
What has been said touching the habits of Cynictis Ogilbyii will equally apply to the
present animal. It inhabits arid plains towards the Tropic of Capricorn, and, like its congeners,
passes some portion of its time under ground. It feeds upon small quadrupeds, birds, reptiles,
insects, &c.
Though but a few years have elapsed since the genus Cynictis was established, we have
already four well-marked species, belonging to it, all of Africa. The species which furnished
Mr. Ogilby with the characters of the group, had, for years, been known as an
inhabitant of South Africa, under the name of Herpestes penicillatus, but the peculiarities which
demanded its removal from Herpestes were only discovered by the above named able naturalist
in 1833. The other three have been' discovered since, two of them in South Africa and the
other in Sierra Leon. Of the four, Cynictis Ogilbyii is perhaps the most typical species;
after that C. Steidmanii, then C. lepturus, and, lastly, C. melanurus, Martin.* The two last,
except in the essential characters, present considerable resemblance to Herpestes, particularly in
the character of the hair and the size and figure of the tail.
F o r t P it t , C h a t h a m ,
30th August, 1839.
* Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for 1836, p. 56.’