44 VIVERRID^, 



the slightest relation to each other, and which he never could have 

 united if he had seen authentic specimens of them. Thus he unites 

 P. Grcuji, P. nipaJensis, and P. lank/er to P. larvafus, and P. Crossi 

 and P. Pallasil to P. musanga, regarding P. hondar as separate. 

 Now if he had united P. Orayi, P. nipalensis, P. laniger, P. Crossi, 

 and P. hondar together, he would have had the excuse that they 

 all have some similarity of external appearance ; and he might have 

 been misled if he had only casually looked at them through the glass 

 of the cases in the museum, as he looked at some specimens which 

 he says he saw when in England. Synonyms cannot be determined 

 by such an examination, nor is science advanced by such assertions. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



A. Digitigi-ade. Thewidersideof the hind feet hairy, except the pads, meta- 



tarsus, and sometimes a small part of the tarsus. Upper Jlesh-tooth 

 elongate ; vpper tuhercidar grinder small, transverse. Nose short ; 

 underside flat, with a central groove. Viverracea. 



I. £ody robust ; tubercular grinders f . f ; back of tarsus hairy. 

 Viverrraa. 



1. VivERRA. Legs moderate, equal. Head elongate. Tail co- 



nical, ringed. Back crested. Orbit of skull incomplete. 



2. VivERRiCTJLA. Legs moderate, equal. Tail conical, ringed. 



Back not crested ; heel with a small bald spot. Orbit of 

 skull complete. 



II. Body robust ; tubercular grinders f . f ; underside of the tarstis with 

 a narrow naked streak, Genettina. 



3. Gesetta. Back with a black suberectile streak. 



4. Fossa. Back without any central streak. 



III. Body slender, elongate ; tubercidar grinders \. Prionodontiua. 



5. LnfSANG. Back of tarsus hairy. 



6. PoiANA. Back of tarsus with a narrow naked streak. 



B. Subplantigrade. The underside of the toes and inore or less of the back 



of the tarsus naked, callous. Flesh-tooth strong, upper tubercidar grin- 

 ders large, broad. Nose short, underside flat, with a central groove. 



I. The hinder part of the tarsus hairy to the palm ; the tail bushy. 

 Galidiina. 



7. Galidia 

 11. The iqijJi 



8. Hemigalea. 



11. The upjjer part of the hinder part of the tarsus hairy ; tad ringed. 

 Hemiaralina. 



