346 Mr. U. I. Pocock on the 



As stated above, tlie skulls of typical Leopardus (ocelots) 

 are very variable, and some of them show a decided approxi- 

 mation to those of L. iviedii. 



Genus Herpailurus, Severtz. 



JL'rpailnruf, Severtzow, 1858, p. 385 ; type yagnaro7id{, Desm. 



Oncifelis, Severtzow, 1851, p. 386 ; type geoffroyi, Gerv. 



Noctifelis, Severtzow, 1858, p. 386; type r/uif/}ia, Mol. 



rardalina, Gray, 1867, p. 266 ; type geoffroyi { = himalayana, Warw.). 



Margay, Gray, 1867, p. 271 ; type tigrtna, Schreb.*. 



D'lstr. From Texas in the Sonoran area of North America 

 as far south as the Argentine and Chili in South America. 



Quite an uncertain number of species and subspecies 

 referable to two well-marked types represented by Herp- 

 ailnriis yaguarondi and Oncifelis geoffroyi. 



At least differing in external characters from Leopardus 

 by the comparatively poor development of the webs and 

 ciaw-sheath on the feet. 



Skull variable, but presenting the following combination 

 of characters : — The cranial portion is long and the facial 

 short, and the dorsal contour is never strongly convex longi- 

 tudinally, the temporal crests are almost always separated, 

 forming either a narrow or a wide lyriform area, rarely a 

 complete sagittal ridge. The muzzle is compressed above, 

 and the narrowest part of the interorbital region is situated 

 forwards just behind the naso-maxillary line, and this line 

 continued passes through the anterior half of the orbit, not 

 approximately through its centre ; the maxilla is very broad 

 above, with horizontal or nearly horizontal upper edge, 

 prominent rounded antero-superior angle, and vertical, or 

 nearly vertical, anterior border. These features give a 

 peculiar " facies " to the skull traceable in all species. In 

 addition, the first upper premolar is minute or absent ; the 

 mesopterygoid fossa is slightly or considerably narrowed in 

 front, with rounded angles and a small median notch in its 

 anterior border ; the inner chamber of the bulla is never 

 much inflated anteriorly and does not project far beyond 

 the partition, which is low or very low ; the occipital crest 

 is not appreciably concave above the condyles and is con- 

 siderably broader at that point than the condylar width. 



* For the determination aud allocatiou of this species, previously 

 regarded as identical Yrith Leopardus iciedii, see Thomas (Ann, & Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. (7) xii. pp. 234-239, 1903) and Pocock (Ann. &Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 (8) xix. p. 43, 1917). In the latter paper the other American species of 

 Felidce were grouped on the lines amplitied in the present communication. 



