418 Mr. I?. I. Pocock on some of the External 



depression, at the lower end of which is situated the anus 

 with its tumid marjiins (fig;, 3, B, C). From the lower end 

 of the tumid margin of the anus a cutaneous ridge, called 

 the frenum by Bennett, extends to the lower edge of 

 the depression. This depression in the anal sac in a 

 general way resembles that of the mongooses, except that 

 the anus is placed near the bottom edge of the sac, so that 

 much the greater part of the sac lies above the anus. The 

 point is of interest, because in the hyuenas the whole of the 

 anal sac is above the anus. Thus Cryptoprocta, with 

 respect to this character, connects in a measure the anal 

 sac of the mongooses with tliat of the hyaenas. Neverthe- 

 less, the sac in Oryptoprocta is, on the wliole, more like 

 that of the mongooses, because the anus lies within the 

 depression, and the thickened edges of the latter close 

 completely over the anus, meeting to form a transverse rima 

 when the tail is lowered (fig. 3, A, as.). 



Mivart was, I believe, the first author to mention the 

 anal glands of Cryptoprocta. In his enumeration of the 

 characters of this genus (P. Z. S. 1882), he wrote (p. 196) : 

 " One pair of anal glands ? ^' But subsequently he asserted 

 (p. 520) : ^' There are constantly two anal glands, one on 

 each side of the anus, in all ^luroids. The glandular 

 structure may be a transverse band of follicles extending 

 between the two anal glands as in (at least some) Herpestes, 

 Crocuta, and Proteles. The anal glands may be augmented to 

 three pairs as in Hycena brunnea, or even to five pairs, as in 

 Crossarchu^. These glands, together with the anus, may 

 open into a deep anal pouch, as in the Hysenidte, Crossarchus^ 

 Suricata, and Cryptoprocta . . . ." Nevertheless, from the 

 text of his two papers in the volume quoted, it is quite 

 evident that Mivart had liad no opportunity of examining 

 the anal glands of Cryptoprocta. His statement regarding 

 them must therefore have been a pure inference. 



Carlsson dismissed the anal glands as follows : — " Die 

 glandulse anales sind 2, die wie bei einigeu Herpestes- 

 Formen (Mivart, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 520) durch eine un- 

 paarige Partie miteiuander zusammenhangen." It does not, 

 however, appear from this passage whether the information 

 it contains is based upon what Mivart said or upon her own 

 observations. But it is noticeable that there is neither a 

 reference to the position of the orifices of the glands, nor 

 does her figure of the anal sac indicate that point, which is 

 of importance in view of the very unusual position of these 

 orifices in Hyana, Proteles. and to a lesser extent in some 

 mongooses. 



