MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 61 



rounded and usually septate, the external meatus being short. 

 Paroccipital and mastoid processes not prominent, the latter 

 being sometimes indistinguishable. 



The caecum is small or absent. There are both cowper's and 

 prostrate glands. Of the four families of this sub-order only 

 one, the Felidse, is represented in Minnesota, and we may here 

 simply pass in review the typical members of the others as 

 introductory to a study of our own Carnivora. 



The family Viverridce is restricted to the warmer portions of 

 the old world, one species only occurring in southern Europe. 

 The legs are short and the body usually is almost weasel-like 

 in its slenderness. There may be four or five toes on the feet. 

 Both plantigrade and digitigrate forms occur. In the one case 

 the claws are not retractile, while in the other they are cat- 

 like. 



The head is small and narrow on account of the slight arch 

 of the zygoma. The orbit is sometimes closed. The teeth are 

 more or less carnivorous but vary greatly in form. The num- 

 ber of incisors and canines is constant and normal. There are 

 also constantly two molars in each ramus of both jaws. The 

 number of premolars may be three or four and the conforma- 

 tion of the teeth differs in the milk set from that in the perma- 

 nent dentition. Of the numerous species most are noctuiunl and 

 all have a musky smell. 



Exceptionally, fruit forms the staple diet but the gi eater 

 number are entirely carnivorous. Some species, like the ich- 

 neumon have been domesticated and prove useful in ridding 

 buildings of vermin. 



The genet represents the family in Europe and is a slender 

 yellowish gray animal with black-spotted pelt and long, ringed 

 tail. The Asiatic zibet and the African civet are worthy of 

 note on account of the peculiar secretion of the anal glands 

 known as zibet and which, when mixed with oil, constitutes a 

 perfume-like musk. It is said that both in India and parts of 

 Africa numbers of these animals are kept in confinement and 

 well fed with birds and periodically relieved of the waxy se- 

 cretion by scraping the sack-like mouth of the glands with a 

 spoon. The two animals resemble each other, the African be- 

 ing larger and reaching the size of a fox. 



Prionodon gracilis is a graceful little animal with a spotted 

 coat found upon Java and neighboring islands and feeds en- 

 tirely upon birds. The coffee cat, Paradoxurus, inhabiting 

 eastern India is more omnivorous than the above and feeds 



