(hi ihc Skulls of the Fclidio and V'ivcnidie. 2GI 



XXVr. — On the Course of Ike Internal Carotid Artery and 

 the Foramina connected therewith in the Skntls of the 

 Fclidio and Vivcrriihe. By K. 1. Pocock, K.R.S., JSii[)ei- 

 iiiteudciit of tlie Zoological Society's Gardens. 



[Plates X. & XI.] 



The skulls upon which the observatious made in this paper 

 arc based belong mainly to the Zoological Society's collec- 

 tion ; but 1 aui indebted to Mr. II. C. Beck, F.Z.S,, for the 

 kind loan of the skull of the rare Ma.lagascan genus Crypto- 

 procta, aud to Mr. E. Gerrard for that of a species of 

 Gaitdictis. The facts recorded have been checked as far as 

 possible upon the skulls in the Br.tish Museum placed at 

 my disposal by Mr. Oldlicld Thomas ; but in these examples 

 I «as unable to lift the bullie or cut away the parts con- 

 ci.-rued for the purpose of laying bare the foramina. 



For classifying the /Eluroid Caruivora both Flower and 

 Mivart made use of the foramina in the base of the skull 

 connected with the course of the internal carotid artery. 

 The former* wrote: — "In the Felidte the carotid canal is 

 vc'.y minute. In the Vivcrridse it is distinct as a groove oa 

 the side of the bulla." According to ^livartf, " iu the 

 Felida; there is no carotid foramen anywhere visible on the 

 surface of the basis cranii, and no carotid foramen perforates 

 or notches the sphenoid, whereas in the Viverridic there is a 

 carotid foramen, or two carotid foramina, visible on each 

 side of the basis cranii, and there may be a conspicuous, 

 carotid foramen (deeply notching the splienoid) in the basis 

 cranii for the entrance of the carotid into the cranial cavity." 



No excuse need be sought for restating the facts^ since 

 neither of the quoted authors, who have inspired subsequent 

 writers on the subject, seems to have investigated them very 

 carefully, judging from certain inaccuracies and defects 

 contained in their statements. 



The VivcrridcC, as understood by Flower and Mivart, are 

 a heterogeneous group including all the aEluroids which 

 are not obviously cats or hyaiuas. They may be considered 

 first. 



It may be recalled that in Canis the canal for the internal 

 carotid begins by an oritice on the inner side and in front of 

 the space that leads to the foramen laceruui posticuni — the 



• ' Mammalia,' pp. 002 & oi'o (1^91 ). 

 t P. Z. S. 18a-', pp. 144-145, 197-ll)s. 



Ann. d; Ma<j. N. llist. Ser. 8. Vol. x\\\. 18 



