Charact( vs of the SlrijKd I hjiiiui (fr 



X\\) 



by tlio antitrjigus, the iiifi'iior proniiiicncc of the jiostcro- 

 extenial ri(l';e uliich ascends ohli(HU'ly upwards ami back- 

 Mards. The postero-internal ridge is \v(;il developed, but 

 there is no definite supplementary ridge on the ])iiina out- 

 side the h)\ver end of the postero-external ridge. 



The interesting point connected ^ith the ear of tlic 

 hyu'na is the al)scnce of the marginal burso, a feature 

 which suggests afhnity with the mongooses. ]iut the 

 aiiaugemcnt of the n)ain cartilages of tlie car is not in tiic 

 least like that of the mongooses, and diHers in no important 

 respects from the anangement seen in other yEluroidea. 



There is nothing in Flower's account of the extcinal ear 

 of Proteles to distinguish itfromthatof the Striped llytenas, 

 if, as appears toleiably certain, lie was describing in the 

 following jiassage the depression regarded by Boas as the 

 liomologue of the marginal bursa: — ''The hinder edge [of 

 the ear] is produced near the base into a slight 'lobule' 

 vith a hollow on its inner side, separated from the ' concha/ 

 or main cavity of the pinna, by a well-marked ridge." 



Feet. — Certain ("haracters in the feet of hyienas, such as 

 the complete absence of the pollex and also of the hallux, 

 the shortness and bluntness of the unretraetile claws, have 

 often been described ; but it does not apj)ear that the feet 

 iia\e ever been figured or described in detail, and, since 

 they differ somewhat remarkably in certain points from the 

 feet of all other /Eluroidea that I have exan)ined, it mav be 

 useful to supply the defects above alluded to. In the fore 

 foot the pads are smooth. The plantar pad is cushion-like 

 and ti'ilobed ; l)ut"the lobes are ill-defined marginally and 

 are not marked by superficial grooves. It is comparativelv 

 long and narrow *, its length being a|)pro\imately equal to 

 its width. In the middle line posterioi'ly it is de|)resscd 

 and obli(jucly corrugated, and its jiosterior border is 

 emargiuate. 



The digital lads, which like the plantar pad are smooth, 

 show several peculiarities. In the first pLuc, the plane of 

 the lower suiface of eaeli is approximately at right angles 

 to the long axis of the foot when the latter is in the hing 

 posiiion. This indicates the extreme of digitigradism ex- 

 iiibitcd in the ilCliiroidea. Another peculiarity is their shape. 

 Instead of being elliptical, or approximately so, in outline as 

 in most /Eluroidea. their slia[)e may be described as iiregu- 

 larly semi-conical. The posterior margin of each is trun- 

 cated, the external margin lightly convex, and the internal 



* ill the iii'wly born cub tlii.- pad i.s imicli bioadtT than in tiie 

 niliilt. 



