346 Mr. R. I. Pocock on the 
As stated above, the skulls of typical Leopardus (ocelots) 
are very variable, and some of them show a decided approxi- 
mation to those of L. wiedit. 
Genus HerpaiLurvs, Severtz. 
Herpailurus, Severtzow, 1858, p. 885; type yaguarondi, Desm. 
Oncifelis, Severtzow, 1851, p. 386; type geoffroyz, Gerv. 
Noctifels, Severtzow, 1858, p. 886; type guigna, Mol. 
Pardalina, Gray, 1867, p. 266; type geoffroyt (=himalayana, Warw.). 
Margay, Gray, 1867, p. 271; type tigrina, Schreb.*. 
Distr. From Texas in the Sonoran area of North America 
as far south as the Argentine and Chili in South America. 
Quite an uncertain number of species and subspecies 
referable to two well-marked types represented by Herp- 
ailurus yaguarondi and Oncifelis geoffroyt. 
At least differing in external characters from Leopardus 
by the comparatively poor development of the webs and 
claw-sheath on the feet. 
Skull variable, but presenting the following combination 
of characters :—The cranial portion is long and the facial 
short, and the dorsal contour is never strongly convex longi- 
tudinally, the temporal crests are almost always separated, 
forming either a narrow or a wide lyriform area, rarely a 
complete sagittal ridge. The muzzle is compressed above, 
and the narrowest part of the interorbital region is situated 
forwards just behind the naso-maxillary line, and this line 
continued passes through the anterior half of the orbit, not 
approximately through its centre ; the maxilla is very broad 
above, with horizontal or nearly horizontal upper edge, 
prominent rounded antero-superior angle, and vertical, or 
nearly vertical, anterior border. ‘These features give a 
peculiar ‘‘ facies” to the skull traceable in all species. In 
addition, the first upper premolar is minute or absent ; the 
mesopterygoid fossa is slightly or considerably narrowed in 
front, with rounded angles and a small median notch in its 
anterior border; the inner chamber of the bulla is never 
much inflated anteriorly and does not project far beyond 
the partition, which is low or very low; the occipital crest 
is not appreciably concave above the condyles and is con- 
siderably broader at that point than the condylar width, 
* For the determination and allocation of this species, previously 
regarded as identical with Leopardus wiedit, see Thomas (Ann. & Mag. 
Nat. Hist. (7) xii. pp. 234-239, 1903) and Pocock (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 
(8) xix. p. 48, 1917). In the latter paper the other American species of 
Felides were grouped on the lines amplified in the present communication. 
