Miscellaneous. 383 



which he figured in his ' Osteographie.' He had the same opinion 

 as Bennett with regard to its affinities. 



M. A. Grandidier, in his travels in the south-east of Madagascar, 

 obtained the skin and two skeletons of the animal ; and the study of 

 the adult dental system shows that Cri/ptoprocta cannot remain in 

 the place assigned to it by Bennett. The Viverridse are character- 

 ized by the existence of two tubercular posterior molars in the upper 

 jaw, and one in the lower jaw. In Cnjptoprocta the upper jaw has 

 only one of these teeth, and the lower jaw has none. 



The incisors are six in each jaw ; in tlie upper jaw the outer ones 

 are very strong, not so large as in the hyeenas, but equal in pro- 

 portion to those of the genus Felis. In the lower jaw the space 

 occupied by the incisors is very narrow ; and these teeth are arranged 

 in two rows, the second clearly behind the others, as in the weasels 

 and martens. This double row of incisors occurs also in some 

 species of Felidse ; but in these the second row is in front of the 

 others. 



The canines are large, pointed, very firmly implanted in the 

 maxillary bones, and both in form and direction resemble those of 

 the Felidaa rather than those of the Viverridse. 



There are in each jaw five molars, placed as follows : — 



premolars f, flesh-tooth i, tubercular -i. 



This dental formula differs from that of the cats only in the presence 

 of one additional premolar in the upper jaw and of two in the lower 

 jaw. But it is to be remarked that this difference tends to be effaced 

 by the advance of age, as the first premolar in both jaws falls out 

 soon after its appearance, and, its alveolus being obliterated, thei*e is 

 no trace of it in old individuals. 



The flesh-teeth are trenchant and compressed so as to act like the 

 blades of scissors, and thus have a perfectly feline aspect ; the 

 constant sharpness of their prehensile margin shows that they are 

 employed only in cutting flesh. The upper flesh-tooth has a tubercle 

 at its anterior inner part, much weaker and less marked than in the 

 hyenas. The lower flesh-tooth has a lobe behind, analogous to but 

 much smaller than that of the hyaenas ; nor does it present any trace 

 of the inner tubercle which gives such a peculiar aspect to this tooth 

 in the hysenas. 



The characters of the remainder of the skeleton are in accordance 

 with those of the dental system, and enable the position of the genus 

 Cryptoprocta to be determined from the consideration of the 

 whole. Its dentition separates it clearly from all the Viverridse, and 

 indicates an animal with more ferocious habits ; with one premolar 

 less in the lower jaw (leaving out of consideration the deciduous 

 teeth), the cranium would differ in nothing from that of the cats. 



But Cryptoprocta ferox is a perfectly plantigrade carnivore ; and 

 it must, therefore, be separated from the cats, notwithstanding the 

 analogy of its dentition. The group of the Felidte is one of the 

 most natural in the animal kingdom, and constitutes rather one 

 great genus than a family ; and we should deprive it of its natural 



