Characters of the Striped Tlyana d'c. 333 



by tlie aiititragiis, the inferior prominence of the postero- 

 external ridye uliich ascends obliquely upwards and back- 

 wards. The postero-internal ridge is well developed, but 

 tliere is no definite supplementary ridge on the pinna out- 

 side the lower end of the postero-external ridge. 



The interesting point connected with the ear of the 

 liyiena is the absence of the marginal bursa, a feature 

 \ihich suggests affinity with the mongooses. But the 

 arrangement of the main cartilages of the ear is not in the 

 least like that of the mongooses, and differs in no important 

 respects from the arrangement seen in other ^5^1uroidea. 



There is nothing in Flower's account of the external ear 

 of Proteles to distinguish it from that of the Strijied liysenas, 

 if, as appears tolcrahiy certain, he was describing in the 

 following passage the depression regarded by Boas as the 

 liomologue of the marginal bursa: — ' The hinder edge [of 

 the ear] is produced near the base into a slight * lobule ' 

 with a iiollow on its inner side, separated from the ' concha/ 

 or main cavity of the pinna, by a well-maiked ridge." 



Feet. — Certain characters in the ftet of hyaenas, such as 

 the complete absence of the pollex and also of the hallux, 

 the slioitness and bluntness of the unretractile claws, have 

 often been described ; but it does not appear that the feet 

 have ever been figured or described in detail, and, since 

 they differ somewhat remarkahly in certain points from tlie 

 feet of all other ^Eluroidea that I have examined, it mav be 

 useful to supply the defects aljove alluded to. In the fore 

 foot the pads are smooth. The plantar pad is cushion-like 

 and ti'ilobed ; but the lobes are ill-defined marginally and 

 are not marked by superficial grooves. It is comparatively 

 long and narrow*, its kngth being approximately equal to 

 its width. Jn the middle line posteriorly it is depressed 

 and obliquely corrugated, and its posterior border is 

 emarginate. 



The digital pads, which like the ))lajitar pad are smooth, 

 show several peculiarities. In the first pLue, the plane of 

 the lower surface of each is ap|noximately at right angles 

 to the long axis of the foot vvhen the latter is in the lying 

 position. This indicates the extreme of digitigradism ex- 

 liibited in the ^luroidea. Another peculiarity is their shape. 

 Instead of being elliptical, or approximately so, in outline as 

 in most i5£hiroidea, their shape may be desciibed as irre"U- 

 larly semi-conical. The posterior margin of each is trun- 

 cated, the external margin lightly convex, and the internal 



* 111 the newly boiii cub tliis pad is luucli broader than in the 

 adult. 



