Clataijication of the Monyooset. .■)19 



almost to the angle of the cheek, the two molars being 

 redticrd so na to Ht into liie Mhort dental area hc-hind it. 

 The lower curnassial (»/i') is con«»|)ondingly large atid tin- 

 last in(»l:ir <{uite Hniall. Tiie tirsl |)MMnohii-, alwa)s small and 

 soniftiiflcs abst-nt, is evidently a |iiiictically lunctionlesM 

 l«»oth, l)Uf, when uhsont, its toniier position is nniiked by tho 

 persistence of the space between tiie canine and the second 

 premolar. 



I/elotjale (type parvula) may be ngarded as a dwarfed 

 Munifos, in which tha diastema has closed up by tho shortening 

 of tho jaw. 



Atilax (type ;hi/(/«///jo,<j/.<) is related to Mungof^ but has 

 very specialized feet, as is testified by the suppression of the 

 interdigital webs. The slightly more f«jrward {)osition of the 

 U|)per carnassiul and the larger size of the two molars sugg'-st 

 its being an offshoot from the Mun<joa-\- Ueloijale stem befoio 

 the retrogression of the curnassial was completed. Tho 

 exceptional massiveuess of the teeth and jaws are probably 

 an adaptation for crushing the shells of the river-crabs on 

 which it feeds to a great extent. 



Irhneum'ui (type albicaiida) has teeth * of a more gene- 

 ralized typo than J/*/h^('5, and in that particular comes nearer 

 the hypolhelical primiiive form, but it differs therefrom at 

 least in the hairiness of the hind feet and more di^iiigrade 

 gait. The depth of the up|)er lip below the rhinariuni is a!.-o 

 no doubt a specialized feature. 



Iiileo(jale (typo cru^^tcundu) shows many ilental resem- 

 blances to Ichneutiiia, as Thonnis pointed out f. Specializa- 

 tion of li.e feet, however, is carried a stage further than in 

 that genus, as is shown by the shortening of the four main 

 digits and the suppression of the hallux and pollex. 



• Of the teeth of Ichneumiti albicawla Thonms wrote in 1882: — 

 "Teeth more Miinded thnn iu the iiM-mbers ol the typicnl >4uh>reniis 

 \^Mutujof\ Last molRrs above and lK-h)w proportionately nnieli larytr 

 .... the lower one with a well-inarki-d extra ensp between the usual 

 ones, fto that there are five cimps in all." To iIum it may be added that 

 the first molar of the upper jaw is nearly a* lar;re ii8 tlie enriia.H>ial ( />'"'), 

 thoii^'h lower crowned, and occupien the jH^^ition of the cariia-osijil in 

 3Iunffo.f, V)eing inserted well in front of the superjacent base of the z;j;o- 

 matic arch. 



t lie wrote, "Of all the mon^rooses //. ttlbiniudu [Icfinftimia] fle« nis 

 to bo mo^t nearly allied to true Ude»yale, nln nf:l> re>oniblinjf the species 

 of that penu.1 in ... . the proportionally large- size uf the la-^t molar, and, 

 motit ot all, in tlie prewnre of the niedinn middle e.xtenial cusp to tho 

 la«t molar, a character in whii h /iiinn/(i/e ditfent from all other mon>ro»i!«-s 

 except the present species and those of tho very distinct genus 

 Crossarchus.' 



