178 CARNIVOKA. 



by the larger size of the talon of the carnassial, and the 

 lesser vertical depth of the horizontal ramus. M. elongata, 

 P. Gervais ', of the Lower Pliocene of Montpellier, is of 

 Considerably smaller size, but agrees in having a relatively 

 long and basin-shaped talon to the carnassial ; this talon 

 is, however, proportionately narrower, and the inner cusp 

 of the blade is larger and placed more posteriorly, causing 

 the "cusp-line" to be more oblique. The mandible 

 figured by P. Gervais 2 under the name of M. minuta is at 

 once distinguished by its diminutive size. The mandible 

 ofM. ardea 3 , Bravard, agrees very closely in size, but the 

 talon of the carnassial appears relatively smaller; the 

 inner aspect of this tooth is not figured. M. taxodon, 

 P. Gervais 4 , has the talon of the carnassial still larger 

 and more distinctly basin-shaped ; and it is highly probable 

 that this form should really be referred to a new genus 

 allied to Meles. M. incerta 5 , Lartet, of Sansan, even if 

 it really belong to the present genus, is distinguished by 

 its greatly superior size. The so-called M. Tiydrocyon, P. 

 Gervais 8 (Hydrocyon sansaniensis, Lart.), is slightly larger, 

 and the ramus of the mandible relatively deeper its depth 

 exceeding, instead of being less than, the length of the 

 carnassial ; the inner border of the crown of that tooth is 

 also higher. The insufficiently described M. zorilloides 7 , 

 Lartet, from Sansan, seems to be of smaller dimensions. 

 A species said to be allied to the Martens has been de- 

 scribed by Filhol 8 , from the Quercy phosphorites, under 

 the name of Jtf. felina, which is sufficiently distinguished 

 from the present specimen by the absence of an inner 

 cusp to the lower carnassial. M. angustifrons and M. 

 sectoria, P. Gervais, are considerably smaller ; and it does 

 not appear that any others of the described fossil forms 

 approach the Siwalik jaw. The lower carnassial of the 

 allied genus Plesictis is distinguished by the much larger 

 development of the inner cusp. 



It thus seems that the present specimen indicates the 

 existence of a species of Mustela in the Siwaliks closely 



1 Zool. et Pal. Fra^aises, 2nd ed. p. 248, pi. xxii. fig: 2. 



2 Ibid. pi. xxviii. fig. 4. 3 Ibid. pi. xxvii. fig. 5. 

 4 Ibid. p. 249, pi. xxiii. fig. 1. 6 Ibid. pi. xxiii. fig. 3. 



6 Ibid. p. 248, pi. xxiii. fig. 2. 7 Vide P. Gervais, op. cit. p. 251. 



8 Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris, ser. 6, vol. x. p. 87 (1874) ; and Ann. Sci. Geol. 

 vol. viii. art. 1, p. 39 (1877). 



