GULO 433 



than half that of main cusp ; skull robust and heavy ; external 

 form heavy, not in the least cat-like ; feet sub-plantigrade. 



Remarks. — The sub-family Guloninse, consisting of the genus 

 Gulo alone, is well characterized by its peculiarities of skull, 

 teeth and external form. Though usually regarded as a near 

 relative of the MiisieJinff', the genus more probably finds its true 

 affinities in the African Mellivova. 



Genus GULO Storr. 



1780. Gulo Storr, Prodr. ]\Ieth. INIamm., p. 34. 



1857. Gulo Blasius, Stiugethiere Deutschlands, p. 208. 



Type species. — Mustela gulo Linnajus. 



GeograpTiical disfrihiiiion. — ISTorthern forests of the Northern 

 Hemisphere ; in Europe confined to Scandinavia and northern 

 Russia. 



Characters. — Skull heavily built, rather narrow but not so 

 high as in Martes (depth of brain-case slightly more than half 

 mastoid breadth), the dorsal profile strongly curved dov/nward 

 anteriorly, the zygomatic arches not specially widened, and 

 postorbital region not unusually narrowed (distance from point 

 of greatest narrowing to zygoma less than breadth of postorbital 

 constriction) ; rostrum short and veiy robust, its width about 

 equal to that of interorbital region, the distance from rim of 

 orbit to gnathion about two-thirds length of brain-case ; auditory 

 bulla inflated along inner border, elsewhere rather flat, the meatus 

 forming an ill-defined, gradually nari^owing tube, the transverse 

 diameter of bulla greatest ; paroccipital process robust, long, 

 standing out conspicuously behind bulla ; dental formula : 

 i !.;3, c jlj, pm jq, tu ^_., = 38 ; teeth relatively lower, wider and 

 more robust than in Mustela (their actual size conspicuously 

 greater) ; small premolars almost directly oi^posed, not fitting 

 between each other when jaws are shut, and only pm^ and pm^ 

 capable of being brought in contact ; lower carnassial with crown 

 wider anteriorly than posteriorly, the metaconid absent, the area 

 of posterior heel only about one-tifth that of cutting portion of 

 crown ; external form short and heavy, almost bear-like, the 

 head moderately pointed, the ears small, nearly concealed by the 

 fur, the tail very short, not so long as head, densely bushy with 

 hairs much longer than itself ; legs short, feet large, digitigrade, 

 the moderately long claws partly retractile ; fur long, soft and 

 dense. 



Itemarlis. — The genus Gulo is represented by two closely 

 related species, (t. lu,scu,s of the northei'n portions of America, 

 and G. gulo of the Old World. 



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