172 MUSTELID^. 



nose white. In a female the head and body measure 11^ inches, 

 tail 6|, skull 2. It is just possible that tliis may be a variety ot 

 P. canigula. 



In Grray's " Revision of tlie Genera and Species of MmteUdce 

 contained in the British Museum ■' (P. Z. S. 1865, p. 117), and in 

 the same author's 'Catalogue of Carnivorous &c. Mammalia '(18G9, 

 p. 95), Himalaya is given as one of the localities for Vison sihirica 

 {Mustela sihirica, Pall.), and the letters B.M. are appended to show 

 that specimens from the Himalaya are in the British Museum. lam, 

 however, unable to find any such specimens in the collection. In 

 Blyth's ' Catalogue of the Mammalia in the Museum of the Asiatic 

 Society,' too, Himalaya and Tibet are given with a mark of doubt 

 amongst the localities for the same species, but this is due to the 

 mistake of supposing M. Jtodgsoni to be a synonym. 



Subfamily MELIN^. 



This subfamily comprises the badgers and their allies. All are 

 furnished with claws adapted for digging, and thus present some 

 resemblance to bears, with which they ha\'e been classed by some 

 naturalists. None of the true badgers have been recorded from 

 within Indian limits, although at least one species belonging to the 

 genus has been found in Tibet. Three genera, however, belonging 

 to this subfamily are found in India or Burma, and are distinguished 

 from each other by the following characters : — 



A. Upper molar broader than long, not larger than upper 



sectorial. 



a. Au external ear ; animal paler below than above . . Helictis. 



b. No external ear ; animal pale above, black below . . Mellivora. 



B. Upper molar longer than broad, and larger than upper 



sectorial. 

 a. Bony palate prolonged back to glenoid fossa Arctonyx. 



Genus HELICTIS, Gray, 1831. 

 Syu. Mdogale, Geoflroy (1834). 



Size small. Body and head elongate, the nose prolonged and 

 terminating in a naked, obliquely truncated snout, separated from 

 the upper lip by a narrow hairy space. The nose is naked above 

 for about one third the distance to the eyes. Limbs short. Claws 

 much compressed, fore claws about doiible the length of the hind. 

 Soles naked; on the hind foot the naki^d i)ortion terminates some 

 distance in front of the heel. Ears short, but distinct. Mamma; 4. 



Dentition: i. |, c. J-^, pm. ^, m. ^. Tiie upper sectorial, 

 which in both Indian and Burmese forms is u)uch larger than the 

 true molar behind it, has a very large inner lobe divided into two 

 distinct pointed cusps. There is a Aery small pointed cusp at the 

 anterior extremity of the tooth. The molar is broader than long. 



