CHAP. IX.] 



TEETH : MUSTELID^E. 



233 



Taxidea : p§ , m\. 

 Mellivora : p\ 



7 specimens. 

 7 specimens. 



:to. 



Helictis: p^, m\. 6 specimens. 



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



Lutra. The Otters for the most part have pf , m\. 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.felina 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 vulga ris 



ii M 



,, macrodus 



a a 



,, cinerea 



ii ii 



,, sumatrana 



,, capensis 



ii ii 



,, maculicollis 



„ felina 



ii ii 



ii a 



„ sp. (S. America) 



Cases 



40 



1 

 11 



2 (1 old; 1 young) 



2 (young) 



6 



4 



1 



1 



1 



3 



3 



2 

 14 



1 



1 



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 . 



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



