224 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



[1889. 



are less equal in size ; the trochlea 

 is longer and more curved and the 

 t j& pits for the attachment of the cru- 

 V'V|p/w c ' a ^ lig aments much more marked. 

 The patella of Dinictis is broad 

 but quite thin from before back- 

 wards ; its upper margin is ab- 

 ruptly rounded and the lower end 

 pointed, giving it the shape of a 

 flattened almond. The articular 

 surface is somewhat concave from 

 above downwards and even more 

 slightly convex from side to side. 

 The anterior surface and the sides 

 are but little roughened, or rather 

 faintly striate. 



The tibia is considerably shorter 

 than the femur ; if we designate 

 the length of the latter as 10, that 

 of the tibia would be 8'4. In 

 Proailurus lemanensis the length 

 of the tibia on the same scale is 

 9*3, in Cryptoprocta 8*6, in Para- 

 doxurus 10*4, in Cynogale 9*1, in Viverra civetta 9 - 2 ; it thus ap- 

 pears that in Dinictis the disproportion is unusually great. Seen 

 from in front the tibia in this genus appears to be straight, as in 

 Cryptoprocta and Proailurus, not having the lateral curvature which 

 occurs in many viverrines, seen from the side, however, the tibia is 

 strongly arched forward. The proximal end differs in some not un- 

 important respects from that of both Cryptoprocta and Proailurus ; 

 the condyles are more flattened and are almost in contact, instead of 

 being separated by a considerable interval ; the spine is very low ; the 

 cnemial crest is somewhat less prominent and does not descend so far 

 upon the shaft; the posterior portion of the condyles is also less de- 

 flected than in Cryptoprocta. On the postero-external angle of the 

 outer condyle there is a large, flat oval facet for the head of the 

 fibula. In Archozlurus the upper portion of the tibia is very similar 

 to that of Dinictis, but the cnemial crest is more massive and the shaft 

 deeper from before backwards, while the spine is higher. In Dinictis, 

 as in Archozlurus, there is a deep concavity in the posterior side, just 



Fig. 3. Dinictis fclina ; A, left femur; 

 B, left tibia and fibula ; C, left patella. 



