2o8 Lloyd's natural history. 



Many of the Family are less completely carnivorous in their 

 feeding than the Cats ; but their habits may be more con- 

 veniently noticed under the various groups. Since these 

 animals are, for the most part, less generally interesting than 

 the Cats, they will be treated of more briefly than the latter. 



I. THE FOSSAS. GENUS CRYPTOPROCTA. 

 Cryptoprocta, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 46. 



This genus is the sole representative of a Sub-family charac- 

 terised by the absence in the skull of the channel known as 

 the alisphenoid canal, by the auditory bulk being somewhat 

 intermediate between that of the Civets and Mungooses, by 

 the feline structure of the teeth, and by the sharp and com- 

 pletely retractile claws, of which there are five to each foot. 

 As regards the teeth, there are four pairs of pre-molars and 

 a single one of molars ; but the anterior pre-molar in each 

 jaw is shed at an early period. The upper carnassial tooth 

 has a three-lobed blade, like the Cats, and a small inter- 

 nal tubercle, while the lower carnassial differs from that of 

 the Felidas solely in having a small ledge or heel on its hinder 

 border, the rudiment of such a heel being found in the corre- 

 sponding tooth of the Lynxes. The upper molar is a small, 

 transversely elongated tooth, placed internally to the carnassial. 

 Although generally resembling that of the Felidce, the skull is 

 proportionately longer and narrower, its orbit not being com- 

 pletely closed by bone behind. The feet are sub-plantigrade, 

 with the tarsus and metatarsus naked, and the nose and upper 

 lip have a median groove. 



That the genus constitutes a distinct Sub-family is perfectly 

 certain, the only question being whether it should not be 

 assigned to a Family apart. It is represented solely by 



I. THE FOSSA. CRYPTOPROCTA FEROX. 



Cryptoprocta ferox, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 46; id., 

 Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. i. p. 137 (1833); Mivart, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 194. 



