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Show 196 PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ALUROIDEA. [Feb. 7, The stomach1 is much bent on itself, but has a considerable cardiac pouch. The small intestines are 4 feet 3 inches long ; the large intestine is 5 | inches, and the caecum l£ inch. The latter narrows gradually to its extremity. There is a very large supracondyloid foramen, and a very large bone to the penis. The characters of the subfamily Cryptoproctina will then be as follows:- (1) Claws very curved, sharp, and semiretractile. (2) Postorbital processes long, but not enclosing orbits. (3) Hinder chamber of bulla not distinctly everted. (4) Hinder margin of auditory opening rather the more projecting. (5) Floor of anterior part of bulla not fissured or pitted. (6) Angle of mandible not everted. (7) Mastoid rather prominent. (8) Paroccipital processes not depending. (9) Aperture of auditory meatus rounded, of moderate size. (10) A n alisphenoid canal. (11) Carotid artery not perforating the basis cranii conspicuously. (12) N o prescrotal glands? (13) Anus opening into a sac. (14) One pair of anal glands 1 (15) A very large supracondyloid foramen to humerus. (16) Pollex and hallux both present. (17) Caecum moderate. (18) Tarsus and metatarsus bald. (19) Nose and upper lip medianly grooved. (20) Dentition very feline, save that there is a double-rooted = - . (21) Tail long. (22) Os penis very large. With Cryptoprocta ends the list of genera which I a m disposed to class in the family Viverrida, following, as I do, Mr. Turner and Professor Flower in ranking the Hyaenas as a group of proximately coordinate value with the Feline and Viverrine families. Nevertheless I believe that the Hyanida are closely allied to the Herpestina-so much so that, had the Madagascar Viverrines no existence, I should feel a certain temptation to exclude the Ichneumons and their allies from the Viverrida, and make of them a family Herpestida, under which the Hyaenas could then be grouped. As it is, however, the plan I have adopted seems to m e to be perhaps best calculated to express the affinities of the existing JEluroidea. The characters of the entire family Viverrida, thus understood, may be expressed as follows :- (1) There may or may not be a pollex ; but in the large majority of species there is one. (2) There may or m a y not be a hallux ; but in the large majority of species there is one. (3) The ungual phalanges may or may not be strongly arched ; but 1 Bennett, I. c. p. 139. |