:)22 ]\Ir. H. I. Pocock on the 



simiilitication tVom that type of organ found in tlie lattiu" 

 group. In the present state of our knowledge it seems to nie 

 that no satisfactory conclusion can be readied on this point. 

 But even if kinship between Suricata and Crossarchus be 

 admitted, it must be remembered that the former differs irom 

 the latter more than Crossarchus differs from other genera of 

 mongooses. 



'J'lie main characters peculiar to the skull of Suricata are 

 the following : — 



1. The plane o£ the base of the skull is inclined at an 



obtuse angle to the plane of the palate. In other 

 genera these two planes are subparallel. 



2. The buUre arc nearly as wi le as long, very flat, and 



project only slightly below the occipital condyles, 

 which are situated between their postero-superior 

 portion. In other genera the bullae are much longer 

 than wide, inflated, and project some distance below 

 tbe condyles. 



3. The ridge of the mastoid extends on the outer side of 



the bulla below the inferior edge of the auditory 

 meatus. 



These characters, cou[)led with the difference in the structure 

 of the ear, justify the erection of Suricata to the rank of a 

 subfamily — the Suricatinoe, — the rest of the genera con- 

 stituting the Mungotinse. 



Analytical Key to the Genera o/ Mungotidge. 



The construction of an analytical key to the genera of this 

 family is simplified by giving a foremost place to the number 

 of digits and to the structure of the upper lip ; but since the 

 adoption of that course leads, in my opinion, to artificial 

 affiliation, I have attached a secondary importance to those 

 characters : — 



A. Supratragus a simple ridge with no valvular 



flap above it ; skull-characters as enume- 

 rated above Subfam. Suricatinje. 



Teeth as under a' below, pollex and hallux 

 suppressed, upper lip uncleft by phil- 

 trum , Suricata. 



B. Supratragus large and valvular, with a 



valvular flap just above it Subfam. Mungotin^. 



a. Dentition sectorial, upper carnassial (pjH*) 

 dominant, set back so that its posterior 

 angle is close to the base of the malar 

 arch, its outer edge forming an obtuse 

 angle with that of nt", most of which is 



