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Show 1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ALUROIDEA. 463 cess of the first dorsal vertebra bifurcates more or less ' laterally and the spines of the next six show a tendency similarly to bifurcate ; the spine of the 12th dorsal begins to curve over preaxially towards its tip ; that of the 13th does so more decidedly, or may quite incline preaxiad, as the 14th always does. The Lumbar Vertebra. The greatest absolute lengths of the lumbar region which I have met with are 40"*0 (Tiger) and 32"*5 (Lion). The longest in the Viverrida is 17"*1 (Cryptoprocta) ; in Crocuta it is 15"*2. Its greatest relative length, measured as before, is 37*4 (Wild Cat), 32*5 being the smallest I find amongst the Felida. In the Viverrida 34*4 (Nandinia) is the highest, and 2Q-2 (Proteles) in the Hyanida. The smallest of the Viverrida is 25*0 (Cynogale) aud 25*8 (Suricata). The smallest of all the .Eluroids is 17*6 (Crocuta). Compared with tbe dorsal region it may be as 103*6 to 100 (Wild Cat) or 93*1 (Nandinia), or only 38*5 (Crocuta). It never equals the dorsal region in length in the Viverrida or Hyanida. The number of lumbar vertebrae is constantly 7 in the Felida ; 6 or 7 in the Viverrida, except in Arctictis, where it is only 5 as in the Hyanida. The transverse processes are exceptionally short in Arctictis. In Proteles the neural spines are more quadrate and upright than in the Felida or Viverrida; and they are still more vertical and quadrate in Hyana and Crocuta. The Sacrum. The greatest absolute length of the sacrum I have met with is 9"*5 (Tiger). The longest in the Viverrida is 5"* 1 (Viverra civetta). In Crocuta it is 7"'6. Its greatest relative length, estimated as before, is 10*9 (Crossarchus obscurus), while 7*8 is its greatest in the Felida. The smallest of all I have measured2 is 5*5 (Manx Cat), 6*3 (Proteles), and 6*9 (Hemigalea). The number of sacral vertebrae is almost always 3 ; but there may be 4 in Hyana and Crocuta. The neural spines are more developed in the Viverrida than in the Felida, and notably so in Arctictis. The Caudal Vertebra. The absolutely greatest lengths I find to be 88"*0 (Tiger) and 81"*7 (Arctictis). The greatest relative lengths are 153*9 (Nandinia), 151*0 (Genetta), 146*4 (Arctictis), and 122.5 (Paradoxurus). Its least dimensions are 8*5 (Manx Cat) and 8*7 (Suricata). 1 It bifurcates very decidedly in the skeleton in the Museum of the Koyal College of Surgeons. In that in the British Museum there is only a slight bifurcation towards its apex. 2 Cynogale, according to D e Blainville's figure, would give 5*1. |