External Characters of the Felidge. 121 



onca, and pardus agrees with that of P. leo. The rhiuariura 

 of Uncia uncia I do not know. 



The forejroing account of the range of variation in the 

 structure of the rhinarium in tlie Felidne, and a comparison 

 between that organ in tlie Felidre and in genera referred 

 to tlie Viverridse, show that there is practically a complete 

 gradation between the two. 



In Civettictis civetta"^, for example, the rliinarium, which 

 is of the same type as the rhinarium of Poradoxvnis and of 

 MuPffos, is very large and prominent, with tlie infranarial 

 portions deep and extending laterally beyond the nostrils. 

 But in Genetta the infranarial portions are reduced in size ; 

 and in Linsang] they are so much reduced as to be only a 

 little larger than in some of the Felidse — e. g., F. pardalis, 

 F. eyra, and F. serval, which also have the rhinarium 

 tolerably prominent and naked above. The difference, 

 indeed, between the rhinaria of Linsang and of Civettictis 

 is greater than between the rhinaria of Linsmig and F. par- 

 dalis ; and from the prominent rhinarium, with its naked, 

 upper side, of F. pardalis, gradations may be traced within 

 the Felidse to the wide, comparatively flat rhinarium, Avith 

 hairy upper side and suppressed infranarial areas, of Panthera 

 leo, the species which, with its allies, has the highest type of 

 rhinarium met with in the ^Fluroidea. 



The Facial Vibrissas. 



Amongst the ^luroid Carnivores, as I have already shown,, 

 the Felidae are exceptional for the complete absence of the 

 interramal tuft of tactile vibrissae. At all events, I have 

 never foimd a trace of this tuft in any specimen of the 

 many species that have passed through my hands. For the 

 rest, there is nothing particularly noteworthy about the facial 

 vibrissse. The mystacial and superciliary tufts are always 

 well developed. The two genal tufts occupy the normal 

 position on each cheek, the lower being placed in a line 

 with the corner of the mouth, and the upper a little higher 

 up and a little farther hack than the lower. In species 

 with short hair on the cheeks each tuft consists usually of 

 two or three long vibrissa and is very conspicuous, e. g. 

 Panthera pardus and F. cnracal. But sometimes there is 

 a reduction in the number. Of two specimens of F. wiedity 



* P. Z. .S. IQlo. p. 396. 



t Ann. & Map. Xat. Hist. (8) xvi. p. .34], pi. xii. fig. o (1915). 



