242 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



[1889. 



absence in the early members of the various groups which now do 

 not possess them. 



It may not be fair to assume that these are Schlosser's chief 

 reasons for excluding the Felidce from the seluroids, as they are 

 employed only against the derivation of that family from Proailurus, 

 etc., but apparently they imply as much, especially when read in 

 connection with other passages. Nor do his attempts to explain 

 away the correspondences in the structure of the skull between 

 the cats and the viverrines, appear to me much more successful, 

 though lack of space forbids a discussion of them here. 



No known group of creodonts can be selected as having any close 

 relations to the cats. The Oxycenas, it is true, do exhibit certain 

 surprising analogies with the recent family, but the analogy is con- 

 fined to the teeth, and is only superficial, as the teeth which in the 

 two groups look so much alike, are not homologous, and are de- 

 veloped in quite a different way. The lower sectorials of Protop- 

 salis, for example, are very cat-like, but not so much so as those of 

 Cryptoprocta ; and the feet of the former genus, as well as those of 

 Oxycena itself, and Hycenodon, are curiously specialized in an en- 

 tirely opposite sense from that which characterizes the cats. 



Unless, therefore, we are prepared to regard the resemblances 

 between the Nimravidce and the Felidce as merely analogical, which, 

 to say the least, seems highly improbable, we must admit a connec- 

 tion between the latter family and the viverrines, since the Nimra- 

 vidce clearly show that they are not far removed from the primi- 

 tive series, of which Oynodictis may be taken as a representative. 



The following table will show the modifications in Schlosser's 

 scheme, which seem to me to be necessary. The Procyonidce are 

 omitted, as we have as yet no information upon their history : — 



Ursidce. Canidce. MustelidcB. Viverridce. Hycenidce. Felidce. 



Nimravidce. 



Miacidce 



