n4 



'Mv. R. T. Pocock on the 



grarlations in the specialization of the feet of FvVis in the 

 folU)\ving particulars : — 



Cldic-shcaths. — In their simplest form, as exemplified 

 in Felh sijlreslris or F. f/cojjioi/i, thcst' stnictnres (litter in 

 no essential respects from those of some genera of Viverriuiej 

 like Vh'errn and Geticfta. 



In their most elaborate form, as exeni])lificd in Fe/is lynx, 

 Punthera tif/ris, and others, the inner lobes on all the digits 

 are well developed and form chiw-sheatlis. complete extern- 

 ally and internally, but the extent to Avhich they protect 

 the tips of the retracted claws depends npon the dej,ree of 

 retraction of the claw- bearing plialanx by the elastic liga- 

 ments and upon the length of the sheaths tliemselves. 



Between these two extremes every gradation in the 

 develo[)ment of the sheaths may be traced. 



llehs. — The webs may, exce[)tionally, be very sliallow, as 

 in the hind feet of F. caracal, but in almost all cases they 

 reach up to the proximal cud of the digital pads, at least on 

 their admedian side; i)ut in other cases they extend beyond 

 that point, and may, in the case of the front foot, reach 

 practically to the distal end of those pads on the admedian 

 side and exhibit only a slight emargination of the edge, as 

 in F. t'lyriiiu, for example. In the hind feet the webs aie 

 always shorter than in the fore feet, but they exhibit a 

 similar progressive series in development from species to 

 species. In almost all cases well-developed webs are asso- 

 ciated with well-developed claw-sheaths. A striking excep- 

 tion to this, however, is shown by the hind feet of F. lynx, 

 where short and deeply emarginate webs accompany claw- 

 sheatlis, which are complete both externally and internally. 



It is needless to comj^are the feet of the Felidie with those 

 of llytona, Muvfjos, Galit/ia, Euplcres, Cryptojirocta, Nan- 

 dhiia, FaradujLUrus, ami their allies. But a few genera of 

 ^luroids, forn.erly included in the lieterogeneons family 

 Viverridffi, approach the Fclidas tolerably closely in the 

 structure of tlie I'eet, and, at ail events, in the develop- 

 ment of claw-sheaths, have more "feline" feet than has 

 Acinonyx. 'lliere is scarcely any dilference, for example, 

 ljetw(!en (jcnettu^ i\\\({ many species ot T'l/Zs in the extent 

 to which the claws are retracted and guarded by cutaneous 

 sheaths. The same may be said of the feet of Linsany ami 

 Poiana f. But in the structure of the plantar and carpal 

 l)ads, the low-set pollex, and the presence of the hallux, 



• I'roc. Zool. Soe. I'Jlo, p. IW, ti-r. 3. 



t Anil. &. IMa-. iNiii. llitl. ^^j x\i. pp. Sli' & 34'), pi. xii. (19Jo). 



