TIVERKID.'E. 41 



having bald soles to the hind feet and an additional false grinder on 

 each side of each jaw. 



Cryptoprocta ferox. B.M. 



Crjptoprocta ferox, Adolph. M.-Edw. Sf Alf. Grandidier, Ann. Sci. 



Nat. 1868, t. 1-4; Schlegel S,- Pollen, Faune de Madagascar, ii. 



p. loj t. 8. 

 Jimior. Cryptoprocta ferox, Bennett, P. Z. S. 1833, p. 46 ; Trans, 



Zuol. Sue. i. p. 137, t. 14 ; Blainv. Osteoqr. pp. 15, 96, t. 6 & 12 ; 



Graij, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 546. ^ i-f ' > 



Cryptoprocta t^'picus, A. Smith, S. African Quart. Journ. ii. p. 134. 

 Hah. Madagascar {Charles Telfair). 



Head elmigate. Tuberctdar grinders in the vpper and loxcer jaics. 



Fam. 4. VIVERRID^. 



Head elongate. Nose simple, flat and bald beneath, with a cen- 

 tral longitudinal groove. Feet broad. Toes short, curved, arched, 

 covered with abundant close-spreading hairs, more or less webbed. 

 Claws short and retractile into a sheath. Tubercular grinders two 

 on each side of the upper and one on each side of the lower jaw. 

 The fur soft, elastic, except in the anomalous genus Arctitis, which 

 has a very harsh fur and a prehensile tail. 



The Viverridie include a considerable number of the middle-sized 



and small Carnivora. They are all natives of the Old World that 



is to say, ^Ifrica and Asia (one of the species spreading itself over 

 some of the southern parts of Europe). 



The greater number of the species are found in Africa, and several 

 are contiiied to Madagascar ; others are inhabitants of various parts 

 of Asia. Some species of the genera, as here revised, come from 

 Africa, and others from Asia ; but I do not know of any species but 

 Viverricula malaccensis which k common to the two sections of the 

 Old World. 



The essential character of the Yivemdse is to have two tubercular 

 grinders on each side of the upper jaw, and one on each side of the 

 lower. In the genera Linsamj and Poiana the hinder upper tuber- 

 cular grinder is absent, and the teeth agree in number with those of 

 the genus Felis ; but the shape of the skull and teeth show that they 

 belong to this family. There are generally three false grinders 

 before the flesh-tooth; but in some genera the front one, which is 

 often very small, is entirely wanting, or sometimes falls out early. 



