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Show 202 PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ALUROIDEA. [Feb. 7, (14) MJJ is small and minute, occasionally absent. (15) The anterior and posterior external cusps of - are about equal, and nearly approach in size the median external one. (16) j ^ has a large or small talon. (17) The outer incisors greatly exceed the middle ones. (18) The humerus wants the supracondyloid foramen. (19) The penis is boneless. (20) The ears are long, erect, and (with one exception) pointed. (21) The tarsus and metatarsus are entirely hairy. (22) There is one small plantar pad and one beneath each digit. (23) The anus opens into a sac. (24) The anal glands vary from one to three pairs. (25) There are no prescrotal scent-glands. (26) There is a moderate caecum. (27) The tongue is furnished with large conical papillae on its dorsum ; but these are not hard as in the Felida. (28) The calloso-marginal sulcus joins the crucial sulcus. (29) Angle of mandible flattened along its inferior border, and pressed up nearer to the condyle, relatively, than in the Felida. (30) Proportional length of limbs longer than in Viverrida. (31) Length of muzzle to cranium intermediate between Viverrida and Felida. (32) Dentition extremely sectorial, while it is nevertheless formed for crushing. (33) Tail rather shorter, but not as in Lynxes. (34) The clitoris m ay be traversed by the urogenital canal. (35) Dorsal vertebrae not less than fifteen. (36) Postorbital processes short and blunt. (37) Paroccipital processes depending. (38) Mastoid rather prominent. (39) N o carotid foramen in sphenoid. (40) Nose and upper lip medianly grooved. (41) Palate not mucn prolonged behind last molar. (42) N o pterygoid fossa. (43) Enormous cranial ridges. The genus Proteles, long known1 as regards its skin and skeleton, had its anatomy first fully described by Professor Flower2, who pointed out previously 3 the characters of the basis cranii, and its affinity, thus indicated, to the Herpestina and the Hyanina. Save for its greater slenderness, the animal has the general form of an Hyaena, with similarly long, erect, and pointed ears, and with a well-developed dorsal mane. There are five fore digits (though the pollex is short), but only four digits to the hind foot. There is a siugle 1 First described in Sparrman's ' Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope 1772- 1776.' See P. Z.S. 1869, p.475. P 2 P. Z. S. 1869, p. 474, pl. 36, with various anatomical woodcuts. 3 P. Z. S. 1869, p. 28. |