E.rlernal C/iaracters of Oyuogii\c hcuucit'ii. .3.>l) 



to nie tliiit possesses these orf^aiis. Hut wlicther the .simpli- 

 city is to hi', assi^^iied to (It'^^ciicratioii coiiiu'ctcd with the 

 al)('riant hahits ol" tlic animal, or wht'lhcr it is to he rc^iarcU-d 

 as primitivi* and as indicatin<j an carlv stage in the c\ ululioii 

 ot" the ghiiids, we shall, pci'haps, never know. 



Inferences as to Mode tf Life. — The records relating to tlie 

 mode of life of Cynoyale were snmmarized hy Mower and 

 Lydclvker as follows: — 'This is a cnricnis ottir-like modifi- 

 cation of the Viverrine type, ha\in<; semi-acpiatio hahits, 

 hoth swimming on the water and elimhing trees, living npou 

 fi>h, Crustacea, small mammals, hirds, and fruit." This 

 summary may, I think, he amplified hy a few inferences, 

 justified hy some of the structural features ahovc described. 



Tlie formation of the feet, with their naked soles and 

 s]uir|) partially retractile claws, confirms the testimony as 

 to the climhing jjowers of the animal ; but the shortness 

 of the tail suggests inferiority to the so-ealled palm-civets 

 {Puradoj-nrus, Xandiniu), bintiirong [Arcticiis), etc., in scan- 

 sorial skill aud activity. On the other hand, as com|)ared 

 M'ith the otters, which, by reason of their long, loosely knit, 

 widely webbed toe-;, sujjplied with comi)aratively weak claws, 

 are but iiuliH'erent climbers, C>jn<)(jale is probaljly a slow 

 swimmer, without the faculty of rapid turning in the water. 

 These defects in aquatic agility are suggested particularly by 

 the shortness and the absence of special muscular power in 

 the tail, and to a lesser extent by the narrow ness of the hind 

 feet aud the feeble development of their intcrdigital webs. 

 The inability of C[ino<jale to overtake swift-swimming fishes 

 under water may, therefore, be tolerably safely assumed. 



The teeth, especially the premolars, nevertheless, seem 

 clearly to be adapted for seizing and holding slippery 

 wriggling prey of that description, rather than for crushing 

 the liard shells of freshwater crabs or molluscs, although 

 the molars are doubtless capable of performing that otfiee. 

 lience it may he supposed that most of the fishes preyed npou 

 are captured after they have taken shelter (roiu the chase 

 under the edge of a submerged rock, in crevices between 

 large stones, or in holes iu the banks or the bed of streams. 

 This supposition is borne out by the unusual development 

 of the facial vibrissaj, not only upon the upper li[), but upou 

 the cheeks, mcr the eyes, and uiulerneath the jaw as well. 

 Having watched the retreat of a fish to its place of refuge, 

 Cynoyule, 1 imagine, paddles (juictly to the s[)Ot to seize its 

 j)rey while lying low, with its movements hampered in the 

 confined space — a predatory device frequently practised by 

 otters. The thickness of the vibrissae, as iu the case of other 



