OCR Text |
Show 1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ALUROIDEA. 177 anterior margin of the external auditory opening is slightly more produced than is the posterior one. The pterygoid fossa is small or absent. The condyloid foramen is concealed. The cranium is much pinched in behind the postorbital processes. The cranial ridges are small or moderate. The paroccipital processes do not depend. The mastoid is considerably developed (as in Cynogale), forming a con- • siderable external ridge. The carotid canal begins near the anterior end of the inner wall of the hinder (and outer) chamber of the bulla. It opens anteriorly at the outer or inner end of the anterior (and inner) chamber; and there is a mostly conspicuous foramen in the basis cranii between the alisphenoid close to the basisphenoid, through which the internal carotid artery passes up into the cranial cavity beside the hinder part of the sella turcica. The palate is greatly prolonged behind the last molars. The infraorbital foramen opens generally above ^ A In dentition Herpestes generally much resembles Genetta, especially in the excessive transverse extension of - and - . Sometimes, as in H. persicus (No. 1436 b in the British Museum), - is very minute; and occasionally, as in H. smithii (No. 979 a, the skin also in the collection), - is wanting (with no trace of an alveolus) on one side, and very minute on the other. Generally -- has two small outer and one large internal cusps. Generally also -- is more transversely extended and more trihedral than in any yet here described genus, and its posterior margin is rather more concave ; otherwise it is shaped as in Genetta and Viverricula. £-§ is quite like the homologous tooth of the Genets. -*-- is somewhat broader behind than in Genetta, and has a small posterior inner cusp ; and it is therefore more like the -*- of Paradoxurus. -- is much as in Viverra. -1- is smaller, and may be absent altogether (as in No. 4324 of College of Surgeons' Museum and No. 148 c of British Museum). The teeth of the lower jaw are like those of the Genet, except that the inner cusp of JJ-J is rather more developed. =-2 is rather broader posteriorly, and p--j- is sometimes wanting. The teeth of H. paludosus are exceptionally stout, as are also those of H. robustus, which are represented in P. Z. S. 1864, p. 558, and Cat. of Carniv. p. 157. The teeth of Herpestes are represented by De Blainville, ' Osteographie' (Viverra), pl. 12, the entire skeleton on pl. 1, and skulls and parts of the appendicular skeleton on intermediate plates. For the basis cranii see P. Z. S. 1869, p. 21, fig. 9. H. galera is the Vansire of Buffon (Hist. Nat. t. xiii. pl. 21). H. sanguineus is figured in Riippell's • Fauna of Abyssinia,' pl. 8, and the skull on pl. 10 ; H. mutgigella, pl. 9. fig. 1 ; H. gracilis, pis. 8 & 10; II. undulatus and H. ornatus (external forms, skulls, and foot-pads) on pis. 25 and 26 of Peters's ' Reise nach Mossambique ;' H. smithii, P. Z. S. 1851, pl. 31 ; H. albicaudus, Mag. de Zool. 1839, pl. H ; and H. albescens, loc. cit. pl. 12; H. vera, Calcutta PROC. ZOOL. Soc.-1882, No. XII. 12 |