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Show 1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ALUROIDEA. 471 25*3 (Proteles). Its least proportion in Felis is 20*8. Its least proportion in the Viverridce is 13*8 (Viverricula), and its greatest is 22*0 (Suricata and Galidictis). 1 have found it equal to the humerus in length in the Wild Cat and Fossa, and almost equal in Hemigalidia. I have only found it absolutely longer than the humerus in Eupleres and Crocuta. The radius and ulna are long and slender in Fossa, Galidictis, and Eupleres. In Hemigalea the radius (which is a good deal bowed) is furnished with a singular plate-like expansion towards and at the ventral end of its outer or radial border. A more or less rudimentary development of the process m a y occur also in Paradoxurus, and a trace of it in Cryptoprocta. The olecranon may, as in Viverra civetta, be more bent postaxiad than in most forms, and than even, relatively, in the Great Cats. A remarkable process may be also developed from the olecranon, extending mesiad. This is seen in Civetta, but attains its maximum in Cryptoprocta, where it reminds one of the inflected mandibular angle of a marsupial. This is little developed in Hemigalea, Fig. 2. /I • IK I \rm (MM A A. Distal end of dorsal surface of right radius and ulna of Hemigalea: p, platelike process. B. Distal end of tibia and fibula. which, however, has a plate-like process, or ridge, developed from the middle of the distal fourth of the ventral surface of the ulna, extending down to the root of the styloid process ; into this platelike ridge the supinator longus, pronator teres, and the (large) pronator quadratus muscles are inserted. This ridge also exists in Viverricula. The Manus. The greatest length of the manus (measured from the junction of the radius and carpus to the end of the third digit), compared with that of the spine, is 23*9 (Proteles), the least is 11*5 (Viverricula). In Felis I have found it range from 17*0 to 22*0. The greatest relative length of the third metacarpal is 12*5 (Proteles), and the shortest is 4*2 (Cynogale). The greatest relative length of the third digit is 10*0 (Felis), and 9*5 (Suricata); the shortest is 5*2 (Viverra). The relatively longest third ungual phalanx is 4*5 (Suricata) ; the shortest is 1*3 (Viverra). The metacarpus is thus proportionally most elongated in Proteles PROC. ZOOL. Soc -1882, No. XXXII. 32 |