396 MR. A. H. G. DORAN ON THE MORPHOLOGY 



brium is always short, broad at the base, much recurved at the tip, though not curved 

 as a whole, with the concavity forwards, as in Dogs ; and it forms an extremely obtuse 

 angle with the neck. There is always a rudimentary processus brevis. Tbe muscular 

 process is always stout at the base, and tolerably long. The lamina . is very long and 

 narrow, owing to the very acute angle formed between the neck and the somewhat stout 

 processus gracilis — a condition diametrically opposite to that seen in the Procyonidae, 

 and a great modification from most other Carnivora. 



Careful comparisons seem to lead to the conclusion that the musteline malleus is 

 intermediate between the typical carnivorous form and that seen in Herpestes and 

 Suricata. By slightly enlarging the head in this family, and fancying the lamina ab- 

 sorbed, and shifting the processus muscularis to the root of the manubrium, we have 

 an ichneumon's malleus without altering the manubrium or the angle it forms with 

 the neck. But by widening the lamina, lengthening and thinning the handle, and 

 placing it at nearly a right angle to the neck, the weasel's manubrium may be brought 

 to the type prevailing in the other Carnivora already described. The thick curved 

 processus muscularis reminds the observer of Ccmis, and completely separates it from 

 the Procyonidae and Ursidae. In some foxes there is a marked tendency to shortening of 

 the manubrium, and to a wide angle between that process and the neck ; but it curves 

 more, as a whole, with the convexity backwards, and less at the tip ; then, on the other 

 hand, the weasel's manubrium is never so broad at its outer surface as in these vulpine 

 Canidae. 



It may seem at first remarkable that the malleus in the Mustelidse is unlike that of 

 the Bears, except perhaps in the head and articular surface ; but after all, there are 

 considerable differences in the tympanic bullae beneath them. (See Mower, P. Z. S. 

 1869, p. 11, figs. 2 & 4.) 



The incus (PI. LVIII. fig. 55) is unusually distinctive in the weasels, having a very 

 short, slightly curved processus brevis, as pointed out by Hyrtl, at least in Mustela and 

 Lutra. The tendency to shortness of this process is as marked in most bears as in many 

 weasels, and nearly as great in the vEluridse and Procyonidse, except Nasua. The pro- 

 cessus longus stretches well forwards, and bears a rather large pedunculated Sylvian 

 apophysis. 



The stapes (PI. LVIII. fig. 62) has straight crura and a stout base; the former are 

 inserted each close to the extremity of the latter. The base is very bullate towards the 

 vestibule in small weasels, as it is in Eyrax, Geomys, and Phalcmgista cooMi. 



In the Pine Marten (Martes abieium, PI. LIX. fig. 7) all the above characters are well 

 marked in all the ossicles. The outer surface of the manubrium is broad at the base and 

 tip, which is well recurved and spatulate. The processus longus of the incus is shorter than 

 in other weasels ; the stapes is larger, with a well-formed bulla. In Mustela vulgaris, 

 M. putorius, and M. erminea the neck of the malleus is generally rather shorter than in 

 Martes and Gulo. The base of the stapes of the Mink (Mustela vison) is very bullate. 

 In Ietonyx zorilla the malleus has a very stout deflected muscular process ; the base of 

 the stapes is slightly inflated (PL LIX. fig. 8). In the Glutton (Gulo luscus) the large 

 malleus has a very elongated head and neck, a wide articular surface, and a short diver- 



