CHAP. IX.] 



TEETH : MUSTELID^E. 



233 



Taxidea : p% , mj. 7 specimens. 

 IVIellivora : p% , m^-. 7 specimens. 

 Helictis: p±, m\. 6 specimens. 

 Ictonyx ( = Zorilla) : p%, m\. 14 specimens. 



310. Lutra. The Otters for the most part have p±, mh. The anterior 

 premolar of the upper jaw is a small tooth standing internal to the 

 canine, but in the common Otter its presence is most constant. In the 

 Oriental L. cinerea, and the Neo-tropical L.feUna on the contrary this 

 tooth appears to be more frequently absent than present. The follow- 

 ing table gives the results of examination of a series of skulls. 



+ signifies presence, — absence of p\ 



Lutra vulgaris 



11 11 



,, macrodus 



11 11 



,, cinerea 



'» >j 



,, Sumatra na 



,, capensis 



ii ii 



,, maculicollis 



,, felina 



ii ii 



>) )> 



,, sp. (S. America) 



»j ii 



ii ii 



In L. cinerea ( = leptonyx) the absence of l^_ is associated with a 

 more forward position of p^, of which the anterior border is then level 

 with the posterior border of the canines 1 . 



1 See Flower and Lydekker, Mammals, Living and Extinct, p. 568, Fig. 261. 



