52 DESULTORY SKETCHES IN NATURAL HISTORY. 



Digitigrada, Cuv. as restricted to the species which possess a coecum ; 

 Pinnigrada, Blainv. or the Seals ; Suhplaiitigrada, Nobis, or the 

 Weasel and Badger tribe ; and Planligrada, Cuv. as limited to the 

 genera included by that naturalist, which have two tuberculated 

 molars on each side of both jaws. 



At the head of the Digitigrada, the Dogs and Foxes hold their 

 station, as a very distinct family — Canidce ; distinguished by a 

 combination of various characters from all the rest, and (inter alia) 

 to mention one of dichotomous application, by the peculiar spiral form 

 of the coecum. In the other Digitigrada the coecum is comparatively 

 short, and not spiral ; and the tongue, which in the Canidce is soft 

 and smooth, is armed (with the only known exception of Proteles) 

 with reverted spinous papillae. Mos eorum copulandi mos canum 

 non est, in consequence of a difference of structure. Save in the 

 Mangouste group (HerpestidinceJ, wherein the hairs of the fur 

 are in general uniformly grizzled, very nearly all (and probably 

 the whole of them when young) are more or less marked with a 

 darker on a lighter tint of colouring ; and, with the final exception 

 of a due proportion of the great genus Felis, they are all peculiar to 

 the warm regions of the eastern hemisphere. 



This last generalization applies properly to 



THE CIVET FAMILY (Viverrid^), 



Which comprehends all the species that are not Cats. They 

 form an extremely natural group, the members of which are 

 mostly distinguished by possessing an anal pouch more or less de- 

 veloped, or, in other words, a cavity or rudiment of the same, 

 formed by two parallel and longitudinal folds of the skin, within 

 which a number of pores open, from which an unctuous and odorous 

 substance exudes, the product of peculiar glands. This substance 

 constitutes, in certain species, the civet of commerce, a well-known 

 perfume, formerly much more used than at present, when jnusk and 

 ambergris were unknown. It is necessary to divide this family 

 into three sub-families ; and to the first of these, or 



The Hyjbna Sub-family (Hyoinina;), 



We will now confine our attention, the two other sub-families 

 being that of the Civets ( Viverrinoe J , comprehending the genera 

 Civet CViverraJ, Genet (Genetta), Galet (Crypioprocta, Ben., 

 perhaps comprising Eupleres, Jourdan), Lisang ( Hemigaleaj Jour- 



