112 MAMMALIA. 



on their legs, and they have not the small molar immediately be- 

 hind the canine tooth. Their pouch extends into the anus. 



One species only is known, a native of Afi'ica Viv. tetradac- 



tyla, Gm.; Buff. XIII, viii, a little less than the Mangouste of 



India. (1) 



Crossarchus, Fred. Cuv. 



The muzzle, teeth, pouch, and walk of the Surikates, the toes and 

 genital organs of the Mangoustes. 



One species only is known Crossarchus obscurus^ Fred. Cuv., 

 from Sierra Leone, of the size of the Surikate j greyish brown ; 

 cheeks a little paler, and a hairy tail. 



We should here mention a singular animal from the south of 

 Africa, known only while young, which, to the five anterior toes, 

 and the four hind ones, and the slightly elongated head of the 

 Civets, adds the raised feet, the short hind ones, and the mane 

 of the Hyena ; it also singularly resembles the striped Hyena 

 in the colours of its fur. The thumb of the fore foot is short 

 and higher J it is the Proleles Lalandiif Isid. Geoff. Mem. du 

 Mus. XI, 354, pi. XX. Inhabits caverns. 



The individual specimens that have been examined, and which 

 were all young, had but three small false molars, and one small 

 tuberculous posterior molar. It seems as though their teeth 

 had never come to perfection, as often happens in the Genets. (2) 



The last subdivision of the Digitigrada has no small teeth 

 of any kind behind the large molar of the lower jaw. The 

 animals contained in it are the most cruel and sanguinary of 

 the class. They form two genera. 



Hyaena, Storr. 



The Hyenas have three false molars above and four below, all 

 conical, blunt, and singularly large ; their superior carnivorous 

 tooth has a small tubercle within and in front, but the inferior has 

 none, presenting only two stout trenchant points : with these pow- 

 erful arms they are enabled to crush the bones of the largest prey. 

 The tongue is rough, each foot has four toes like that of the Suri- 

 kate, and under the anus is a deep and glandular pouch, which in- 

 duced some of the ancients to consider them as hermaphrodites. 

 So powerful are the muscles of the neck and jaw, that it is almost 



(1 ) The Zenik of Sonnerat, Voy. IT, pi. xcii, appears to differ from the Surikate 

 merely because it is roughly drawn. 



(2) See my Ossemens Fossiles, torn. IV, p. 388. 



