246 



BASSAKII)^. 



Fam. 5. BASSARIDtE. 



Tail elongate, subcylindrical, covered with long hair, not prehen- 

 sile ; soles of the feet covered with hair. 



In the P. Z. S. 1864, p. 510, 1 observed that this genus is peculiar 

 in having two tubercles on the inner lobe of the flesh-tooth, while 

 this tooth in all the other genera has only a single tubercle on the 

 crown of that process of the tooth. 



The genus Bassaris has hitherto been arranged as an anomalous 

 genus of Viverridce ; but Mr. Flower has shown that the skuU is 

 more Uke Procyon, and that Bassaris has no caecum, like the other 

 Omnivora (see P. Z. S. 1869). 



BASSARIS. 



Body elongate ; back not crested. Legs moderate, equal. Tail 

 elongate, bushy, dark-ringed. Toes 5.5, separate ; claws acute. 

 Teeth 38 ; false grinders f . f ; tubercular grinders f . f . Hub. 

 Mexico. 



Bassaris, Licht. Isis, 1831, p. 510; Grai/, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 512. 



Bassaris astuta. 

 Fur grey. 



Bassaris astuta, Licht. Isis, 1831, p. 510; Darst. Saur/eik. t. 42; 



Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 512 ; Baird, 31amm. N. Amcr. t. 74. f. 2 ; 



Eyctoux, Voy. Bonite, t. (skeleton) ; De Blainv. Osteogr. Viverra, 



t. 12 (teeth). 

 Tepe maxthalon, Hernand. Voy. Fav. t. 4 & 18. 



Var. fulvescens. Fur more fulvous, perhaps of a different season. 

 Bassaris astuta, var. fulvescens, Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 512. B.M. 

 Bassaris Smnichrasti, De Samsure, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1860, p. 6, 

 t. 1. 



Hah. Mexico (called " Cat Squirrel," often domesticated) {Phil- 

 lips). 



Skull ovate, rather produced in front, more compressed. Orbit 

 large, incomplete behind ; lower edge confluent with the zygomatic 

 arch ; zygomatic arch slender, short, and much bowed oiit. The 

 brain-case swollen ; the contraction rather in front of the hinder 

 edge of the orbit. The teeth normal. False grinders f . f ; the 

 upper compressed, second without any internal lobe. The flesh- 

 tooth triangular ; inner lobe broad, oa the inner side of the front 

 edge, with two distinct conical tubercles ; outer side about one- 

 third longer than the front margin. The tubercular grinders large, 

 rather broader than long, with four small tubercles on the oxiter and 

 three' on the inner side; inner edge rounded; the hinder tubercular 

 oblong, transverse, like the fore one, but smaller. The lower jaw 

 shelving in front, the lower edge arched ; the tubercular grinders 



