206 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 
five enormous bounds, by @hich he nearly reached his prey, 
suddenly gave up the pursuit, and came growling sulkily. 
back to his cart.’ 
“As soon as the Antelope is pulled down, a keeper runs up, 
hoods the Chita, cuts the victim’s throat, and securing some of 
the blood in a wooden ladle, thrusts it under the Leopard’s nose. 
The Antelope is then dragged away, and placed in a receptacle 
under the cart, while the Chita is rewarded with a leg for his 
pains.” 
Il. THE CIVETS. FAMILY VIVERRIDZ. 
This extensive Family, which includes not only the typical 
Civets, but likewise the Palm-Civets, Mungooses, &c., may 
be distinguished from the Zé/de by two leading characteristics. 
In the first place the auditory bulla of the skull is marked bya 
transverse external constriction, indicating the position of the 
internal bony partition ; and, in the second, the middle incisor 
tooth on each side of the lower jaw is raised above the level of 
the other two. From all existing 7e/de the Viverride are fur- 
ther distinguished by the greater number of pre-molar teeth in 
the lower jaw, these varying from three to four pairs. Asa 
tule, the teeth of the cheek-series differ considerably from those 
of the Cats ; but as the genus Cryftoprocta forms a connecting 
link between the two groups in this respect, dental characters 
cannot be relied on to distinguish between them. The num- 
ber of pre-molar teeth varies from three to four pairs in each 
jaw, and there are generally two pairs of molars in each, 
although in a few instances these may be reduced toa single 
pair. In most cases the feet, which may be either digitigrade 
or partly plantigrade, are each furnished with five toes ; but the 
number may be reduced to four in either the front or the hind 
pair, or in both. The degree of retractility of the claws varies 
in the different genera, as does the extent to which the hair 
extends on to the hinder part of the sole of the foot. 
