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Show 1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ALUROIDEA. 159 marked by a groove along the middle of the nasals, as in Fossa. The cerebellar chamber of the cranium is very large, larger relatively than in Viverra or Civetta. The cranial ridges are slight, the temporal ridges not uniting to form a sagittal ridge. The ascending ramus of the mandible has a narrower and more vertically prolonged coronoid process than in Genetta, while the angle extends less backwardly. The teeth1 are formed like those of the Genets, save that there is no - and that - has rather a larger talon relatively, while its inner cusp is situated a little more towards the anterior end of the tooth, ^j has also a smaller talon than has the corresponding tooth of Genetta; and -^-^ is much more minute than is the -jyj-2 °f" t^e Genets, and more laterally compressed, with two (or three) cusps placed one in front of the other. The deciduous teeth are like those of the Genets, save that - seems to have its talon hardly smaller than in the adult, and has no extra cusp on the ridge joining the inner and anterior cusps. ^-3 is unlike that of Genetta and is quite like g-^, except that the postero-external cusp is rather larger compared with the anterior one, and that the talon is a trifle smaller relatively. Prionodon has all the characters enumerated as those of Viverra, except Nos, 1. 2, 12, 18, 42, 45, and 46. The genus Poiana was founded by Dr. Gray on the Genetta poensis described by Mr. Waterhouse 2. Its coloration is very like that of Prionodon; but the spots are smaller and show no tendency to run into transverse bands or stripes, except on the middle of the back of the head, and except a broad mark on each side descending from the back of the head to above the shoulder. The tail is ringed with dark rings, alternately broad and narrow. The muzzle is very pointed. The length of the head and body is about 38 inches, that of the tail 40*5 inches. The animal comes from Sierra Leone and Fernando Po, and differs from Prionodon not only remarkably as to geographical distribution, but also in that it has a narrow bald line running up towards the tarsus, as in Genetta. I have been able to find no cranial distinctions between Poiana and Prionodon, save that in the latter the cerebellar chamber of the cranium is smaller, and that the coronoid process of the mandible is intermediate in form between that of Genetta and that of Poiana. The teeth are also quite like those of Prionodon, except that jjj-s is rather less laterally compressed, its three cusps being not placed so, nearly in an antero-posterior line. Thus this animal might be considered an African Prionodon which had acquired a Genet-like tarsus ; and this determination 1 The dentition (copied from Horsfield's plate) is given by De Blainville, Osteographie, Viverras, pl. 12. *-" P. Z. S. 1838. p. 59. See also P. Z. S. 1864, p. 520, and Brit. Mus. Cat. p. 54, fig. 8 (skull). |
